


Oclar

by Padacore



Category: Original Work
Genre: Bisexual, Blood, F/F, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Gay, Hunting, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Original Fantasy, Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Soft Porn, Sweat, original - Freeform, straight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-08-14 03:40:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16485257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Padacore/pseuds/Padacore
Summary: Valiant, Kyler and Llewyn all grew up together in the town of Yarrin. One day, after a hunt, Valiant comes out to his friends as bisexual. And then (because of completely different reasons), his whole life is flipped upside down. They get embroiled in a war, and protecting the country of Oclar from the ravages of war.Valiant BolandA heroic young man who knows the value of a joke. He did not learn to take a compliment, and became very bashful. He knows when and how to be serious, and does it.The son of an innkeeper and a smith.Llewyn FilliA young man with a penchant for food and a hatred for hard work. He holds a distaste for many children, hoping for a future with more acceptance of different bodies. He never learned to actually stand up for himself, relying on his sister and his father for that. He found an unfounded level of pride in himself. He had sexual relations from an unreasonably young age.The son of a shop-keep.Kyler ZilloA boy who learned to hold a stiff upper lip to demand respect. He was the only child of his family. He was once a social butterfly, but he stopped talking and joking to others. He dove into his study, learning to be a general.





	1. The Status Quo

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is a new venture. I'm going to be posting in I don't know how long intervals. There is soft porn in here, but that won't be very present regarding under-aged characters. Llewyn and Valiant won't be having graphic sex anytime soon.

"So, you think you'll ever bag that boar?"

"Well, it'd be easier if you helped. Maybe nock an arrow too? Draw your sword?"

The two boys were sitting behind a wall of vines. A third sat in silence, sharpening his short dagger. He turned his angry glare away from the two in front of him to catch the rustling noise he heard. He knocked on the metal plate on his chest, alerting the boys. They scrambled over on their knees. The quiet boy pointed in the direction that the noise came from. 

A tusk poked through a bush. The boy with his bow all ready pointed, and pulled. Before letting go, he stepped forward and then...

Sproing!

The arrow was released and hit flesh, splashing blood. The quiet boy sprang into action followed by a bumbling buffoon. He darted through the bush, ignoring the blood and squealing to search for any other boar. He heard one and jumped to the tree behind which he heard it, reaching his dagger around it before he could sidestep it. He hit something.

It let out a loud screech and he yelled out in victory. 

The large boy had drawn his sword, and bounded over to a bush, and... cut the berries off of the bush when a boar appeared behind him and silently charged him. It let out a loud squeal as an arrow lodged itself into the boar's side. 

"What the hell are you doing? Get berries when we aren't in the middle of a hunt!" the boy who had let off the first arrow commanded, jumping out and pulling the arrow out of the carcass. The squealing boar wasn't dying so the large boy stabbed it in the side with his sword and it sprayed blood from two holes. 

The two smaller boys darted around finding that they had killed four boar. They found this to be satisfactory, and found their horses. The small boy who let off the first arrow dragged two behind him and the others, one each. 

"So, Valiant, how's she goin'?" the large boy asked from atop the struggling horse.

"She? Oh, you mean Eva?" Valiant, the boy whose horse dragged two boars inquired, running his hands through the horse's mane. 

"I guess so. So? How is she?"

"Well, we kinda fizzled out... I was gonna ask her out last week, but then she didn't show up when I was gonna do it. I have seen her, but she seemed to be avoiding me," Valiant answered, his eyes pointed straight forward on the road. 

"Huh? And here I thought it was becau-," the boy who had been quiet said before cutting himself off.

"Huh? What was that, Kyler?" the fat boy asked, angrily. He pestered the two for information, "Val, Ky! C'mon, tell me! Don't leave me out of the loop!"

"No," they both chanted in reply for a while before Valiant decided to give in by yelling,

"I like boys. I like boys, ok? I like girls too, but I also like boys. When I told her after asking her out, she ran away. Are you happy?"

The fat boy laughed, and pulled his horse in closer to Valiant. Valiant was feeling upset, but felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course I'm happy. Good for you, bud! Just don't try anything on me, okay?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Fatty! I don't like you, Llewyn. There are boys, though," Valiant said, patting the fat boy, Llewyn, on the back. 

"Wait, why did Ky know and you didn't tell me?" 

"I was out at my tree, and he came to me crying. So, yeah. He told me," Kyler explained, his hands running through the white mane of his horse.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. Now, who are they?" 

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Who do you like? Who are the boys?" Llewyn asked, knocking his shoulder lightly into Valiant's shoulder.

"Oh... not telling!" Valiant announced, pointing his nose upwards and straightening his back.

"Spill!" Llewyn insisted, his pulling his horse back out. 

"No. That's enough. Don't treat me any different now that you know this."

"Hey, just a quick mention. I've seen your dick, and, anyone blessed by you would be lucky," Kyler announced with a clear voice.

"H-hey! Thanks, but... shut up! Don't talk about that, please!" Valiant shouted, his face turning into a tomato. 

"Oh, yeah... when we were camping, it was pretty big, wasn't it?" 

"Don't say that!"

"Not like yours, Llewyn," Kyler joked slyly. Llewyn scowled and ran his horse ahead of the others and swapped sides to yell at Kyler. 

"You can shut your mouth. I was told that it is quite impressive," Llewyn announced, hitting Kyler upside the head. 

"What did you just do? Touch me again, I dare you!"

"Sorry! Please don't hurt me!" Llewyn screamed, pulling away again. 

"Little-dick's a coward, Val!"

"Leave him alone, Kyler. It's not like he can help it."

"Help what? Shut up, you two! You're lying! My girlfriend said it was SO big!"

"Your gut, more like," Kyler said, cracking the reins and speeding off into the distance. 

"You two are mean!"

"Ky! Don't go too fast! You have a boar on your back don't forget!"

The three of them ended up near each other and ended up in their rural country town Yarrin. They rode passed the wooden buildings. Passed the ranches. Passed the farms. Passed the restaurants. Passed the town hall, and finally at Llewyn's father's mineral shop.

"Hey, Llewyn! What'd you catch yer sister 'n' me fer dinner?" his father asked, waving to the three of them from the counter in the store. 

"Caught us a boar and got some berries!" Llewyn announced, dismounting his horse. He offered the reins up to Valiant as if saying, "Take her to the stables for me. I don't want to carry this thing all the way back."

"No, Llewyn. Take it off here, and get Betsy to take it out back. I can't ride two horses a once," Valiant said, pushing the reins away from himself.

"C'mon...," Llewyn mumbled to himself, untying the boar from the backside of the horse.

"Betsy! Get out 'ere!" Llewyn's father shouted from the front of the store. The beefy girl ran out of the back door, and spoke to her father. She took the pig out through the door she came through. 

"Boys," Betsy said with a quick salute, and walked off. She took a bag filled with berries along with her. They took themselves from the mineral shop, and to the house of Kyler's parents. Kyler dragged his boar into the house along with the small rodents that he'd killed.

"Have we ever met his parents? I don't think I have," Llewyn said, laying forward on his horse's neck.

"I have. They're really just normal people. His mum works in the town hall, and his dad's a waiter."

"Wouldn't expect that from his parents. I mean he's such a weirdo," Llewyn sighed, his eyes weighing heavily.

"He's fine. Stop saying stuff like that," Valiant said, rubbing his horse's ears.

Kyler came back out, and mounted his horse. 

"You know... my family's been bred to hear the best of any in the country, right, Llew?"

"Gah! No way!"

"No. But that was just to see if you were talking shit about me," Kyler said, cracking his reins to start the travelling. As they headed towards the stables, Llewyn asked,

"So, how's Cassian?"

"Cass? Why?" Valiant inquired, looking over to the boy who looked about ready to sleep. 

"I dunno, he's cool. What about Alphonzo? Duni?" 

"Why the sudden interest? My brother and sister? Cassian?"

"I said, I dunno. Just... my family's so boring, and your's is probably not. Al and Cassian fighting?" 

"Betsy's fine. What's not exciting about her?" Valiant asked, running his hands through the thick blonde mop on top of his head.

"Fine? That's a... choice of words," Kyler commented, leaning back in his saddle. 

"You know what I mean!" 

"She never leaves the house! I'm never gonna be an uncle y'know?"

"And...? Why would you want to be an uncle? Alphonzo's kids would be terrors!"

"Kids're bad, I know. But I can make them better than the ones we grew up with."

"And what makes you so sure? You don't leave much of an impact," Kyler joked, sitting up straight once more.

The boys arrived in the stables, and were unpacking the horses when a boy a year older than Valiant rode into the stables. It was Alphonzo, Valiant's older brother. He had a bear dragging behind his horse. As he rode passed, he noticed his brother in one of the stalls.

"Oh-! Valiant? You're back?" he asked, craning his neck up and over the door.

"Yeah. What'd you catch?"

"A bear. Not a cub, either. Took me all day," he said, his nose pointed to the ceiling.

"A bear? See, this is why I said Betsy's boring! She's never killed a bear! Not even with all of that bulk!"

"Huh? Thanks, I guess," Alphonzo grunted, pulling his horse into its stall.

"You two should just be thankful you aren't only children. It's terrible for me. My parents only have me, and I hate it," Kyler whined, hanging his saddle on a hook. 

"Well, I'm sure. You never talk to anyone apart from us."

"It helps command respect. Shut up," Kyler said with no change in tone.

"You don't want our respect?" Llewyn angrily asked, performing a magnificent feat of strength, pulling himself over the partition between the stalls.

"Of course I do, dummy. You just give it to me without me changing myself. You let me be myself."

"You sound pretty close. Why don't you come 'round more often?" Alphonzo asked from his stall.

"Well... I study quite a lot of the time."

"What're you studying for? Didn't you leave school last year?"

"Yes. I'm fifteen, duh. I just want to be a smart person. That can help me get into the army."

"The army? Well don't die."

"Uh, hey, Al? I kinda have two boars here. You think you could help?" Valiant interjected, poking his head up above the door to the stall he stood in.

"No, Val! I have a whole-ass bear here. Can you not see it on the floor from out there?"

"Ugh. I'll be back. I've gotta go get Cassian," Valiant grunted running out of the stall, stables, and along the road. He ran along the dirt road to find himself at his house. It lay next to the inn that his mother owned and the smithy that his father had owned. He ran through to the field out the back. He looked around, and found a man, axe in hand, sweat beading his bulky arms, and brown-stained singlet draped tightly over his muscular body, "Cass!"

"Oh, Val! What is it?" Cassian asked, laying down his axe and jogging over to Valiant. 

"You're all sweaty. You won't be useful," Valiant sighed, patting Cassian's arm, splashing the sweat.

"Nah, I'm fine. You need some labour?" Cassian asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead and splashing Valiant in the pungent fluid. 

"Eeyuk! Cass!"

"Sorry, sorry! I've just been cutting firewood all day. Prepping for Winter, y'know?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you just splash me with your sweat!"

"I said I'm sorry!"

"Ok, but if you really think you can, could you help me drag some boars back? I got us two," Valiant asked, stepping back, closer to the house.

"What about that little shit, Alphonzo? Can't he help?"

"No. He has a whole bear. So he can't."

"Well that weeny won't be able to drag that. I'll take that," Cassian said, stretching his shoulders as he walked towards the road. 

They walked to the stables, Valiant explained his day - excluding his confession - to the boy who had lived with him for years. Cassian had taken the role of father-figure and brother to Valiant despite being a mere three years older than him at seventeen. He took that role when, four years prior, Valiant's father had left Yarrin and his family not to be heard of. 

"So then. Where's Alphonzo? That weak-ass bitch!" Cassian asked with a loud boom. As he finished speaking he noticed Al standing there, straining alongside Kyler on pulling on the ropes tied to the bear with both boars stacked atop it. 

"What'd you just call me, cunt?" Alphonzo squealed, his voice cracking, letting go of the rope and falling flat on his face. Llewyn popped up from behind the beast stack.

"C'mon! I better not be the only one working here!"

"Shut up, fatty! You weren't doing anything to help!" Alphonzo screamed from the ground, pulling himself up, and attempting to press his chest up against Cassian's, but it was too high due to Cassian's height. He looked up to his rival with squinting eyes, saying, "You won't be able to do it, either!"

"Well, duh! Those are some large boars. First, we're gonna need to unload those. You three are quite foolish," Cassian exclaimed, patting Alphonzo on the head. He strode over with quite a bit of composure. He reached up, and grabbed the boar on top by one of its tiny, stubby little legs. Pulling it down, he managed to hold it over his head and drop it down to the ground. He demanded, "Val, that one is yours to drag. You two. Either of you able to help?" 

"Yes," Kyler answered, hearing a chiming of,

"No!" from Llewyn as his feet hit the wood of the stable.

"Alright, you take this one then," Cassian said, pulling down the second boar with little struggle. Alphonzo grumbled to himself, looking down at the floor. Both boars still had the ropes tied to them. He continued, "Al, get over here. We've gotta redo these ties."

"Really? What's wrong? They looked fine before I left."

Kyler and Valiant began to drag their boars away when they heard from the stables,

"And their knots are fine? You just hate me!"

They continued dragging their boars and found themselves outside of the house of Valiant, Alphonzo, Cassian, the mother of the house, and their sister. Both of them had their boars' ropes slung over their shoulders.

"Val! Val! Val and Kyler!" a little girl screamed with joy, running out of the inn, and bouncing up and down in front of the two boys.

"Duni, how's it going? Any new guests today?" Valiant inquired, looking down to the short girl who stood next to him. 

"Yeah! Yeah! Their names were... what was it again? Oh- their names were Ybarra!"

"A married couple?"

"Yeah! She was really pretty!"

"Oh? That's nice," Valiant said barely paying attention now.

"Yeah, and he was really ugly! He didn't deserve her!"

"Yeah-? Wait, Duni, you don't just say that about someone!"

"But it's true! They went to their room and started yelling like Cassi and Al do!"

"I don't think that's what they were doing...," Kyler mumbled to himself, pulling the boar through the fence to their field out the back. 

"Where's big brother Al?"

"Hmm? I dunno. Maybe we should go and check on them. You stay here, Duni," Valiant said after pulling the boar to the back porch of the inn to keep it out of the sun.

Kyler and Valiant walked over to the stables once more, only to find Cassian and Alphonzo tied to the bear. They were both yelling,

"Help! Help!"

"How the fuck did you two do this?" Valiant asked, walking over to the pair who were bound to the bear. 

"Well, Alphonzo over there was trying to do that side when he pulled to hard, and on the wrong rope. I got pulled in, and my knots have me stuck. And... it's really warm right here, please free us now. I'm overheating," Cassian explained with his voice sounding desperate. 

"Fuck you! It's not my fault!"

"Yeah, it is."

Valiant walked over to Cassian, and cut through the rope to let him go. Kyler silently did the same for Alphonzo. They thanked the pair for several minutes until they parted from Kyler. As they walked along the road with the new, good quality knots, the three dragged the bear behind them. 

"Are you two even fucking pulling?" Alphonzo would squeal as he pulled with his whole body weight. 

"Yes, Al. We're pulling," Cassian responded, both hands on the rope that was slung behind his shoulder. 

Eventually, they were joined by several Yarrin residents pushing the bear from behind. When they finally reached the inn, the sun was near set. Their mother noticed them out there and squealed with delight! 

"Two boars and a bear? We are going to be fed for months!"

"You're welcome," Alphonzo grunted as he nearly fell to the ground due to the angle he made with the ground. They finally arrived in the house and all three boys immediately retired. Valiant to his bedroom upstairs, Alphonzo to his room directly underneath, and Cassian to the room within the smithy that Valiant's family had provided him with after Duni's birth. 

Cathy - Valiant and Alphonzo's mother - had set about cutting and cooking some of the boar meat, and accompanied it with some of the vegetables that she had bought. She prepared the food, and called her children into the dining room.

"Boys! Duni! Dinner's ready!" she announced under the fire-light of the room. Alphonzo stumbled out from his room in nary but pair of shorts. Valiant slid down the stairs on his rump fully dressed, and dragged himself to the table. Cassian fell through the door, coming in from next door.

"You boys are really weak," Duni said, sitting at the table with a smile.

"You can talk, seven year-old!" Alphonzo said, his face feeling like it would fall through the table. 

"Ugh, I should've just said no," Cassian grunted, pulling himself along the floor with his arms. 

"Cassian... I thought you were raised never to say no when your brothers asked for help," Cathy moaned from the head of the table, holding her fork in hand.

"Yeah... but if I knew how much... work it would be. I feel like I'm dying, Cath!"

"You didn't even pull, Cassian!"

"Actually, Al, I think you were pulling the least," Valiant moaned, pulling himself up on the table.

"Lies! I was putting in the most work!"

"You only think that 'cause you're the weakest...," Cassian moaned, slapping the wooden floor.

"Boys... stop talking like that. Please," Cathy whined, waiting for the boys to find their ways to the table. 

"But it's true! I know it!" Alphonzo cried out with his face on the table. 

"Alphonzo! Come on... you are my son, and that means you are strong!"

"Yeah! You got a bear!" Duni exclaimed from her seat. 

"I shot it a couple times. Then I-... Duni, I'm not telling you how I killed a bear! You're seven years old!" 

"Oh, praise the Grand Dragon! I finally made it here!" Cassian exclaimed, pulling himself onto the chair. They all grabbed their forks and were led in prayer by Cathy.

"Thank you, Grand Dragon, for the land of Oclar, and allowing us to live here. Thank you for providing us with the beasts of this land. From Tobermen to rabbits. Thank you for not wiping us off the map with your disciples. Thank you for providing us with the strength to devour them. Praise ye, Grand Dragon."

This last sound brought their forks to their plates. They dug into the pork, and bit into the vegetables. They ate with a ravenous conviction, trying to restore their energy. Cathy tried to get them to slow down several times, but felt if she were to speak she would be bitten in to. Though she knew them not to be cannibals. 

"Gah! So good! You chose the good ones, Val!" Alphonzo exclaimed, lying back in the chair and patting himself on the stomach. He continued, "And Ma! You cooked it so well!"

"Well thank you, Alphonzo," Cathy answered, while all that could be heard of Valiant was the chomping down of teeth. Cassian's plate was cleared, and he said,

"Ah! So good, Valiant! And Cathy, you did a fine job cooking this."

"Thanks," could be heard through the almost demonic gurgling and slobbering. 

"Oh, it's no trouble, Cassian. You are the one that cut up all of the firewood today," Cathy replied. She looked over to the youngest boy, and saw that his mouth wasn't going to be empty for a while. 

Valiant looked at his mum as if to say, "What?"

She gave him a look under her brow, trying to say, "Manners."

"Excuse me...," Alphonzo said, standing up and stumbling in to his room. 

"So, Cathy, anything interesting in the inn today?"

"Not really. A couple of guests."

"I already told you! Why didn't you listen?" Duni asked.

"I did. I was just being polite, Duni," Cassian answered. 

"Well, thank you, Cassian. You look weary. You may retire if you wish," Cathy informed. 

"No, no. I... wish to remain."

"Ok. Did you see anything in the forest when you were gathering wood?"

"No. Not really. There was another man out there."

"Ok, nothing there then. Valiant... slow yourself."

"Ok, Mum."

"Did you see anyone in town today, Cathy?"

"Oh, yes! Garry and Carissa! They got engaged!"

"Really? Wow, good for them!"

"I know. They haven't figured out when it will be yet. Duni, why don't you grab some paper? I'll teach you some words, ok?"

"Ok, Mummy!"

Duni ran into the other room with a skip in her step. Valiant bit down on his final piece of the pork, swallowed it down, looked at his plate and found that it was bare. He looked over to his mother, and stared in disbelief. 

"Where'd it all go? Where's Al? Duni? What the?"

"Oh, Valiant...," Cathy mumbled.

"I'm in here!" Al shouted from within his room. 

"Here I am!" Duni said, walking up to her mother with a piece of paper. 

"Cassian, be a dear and grab me the inkwell," Cathy said, leaning over the paper as Duni dragged her chair.

"Of course," Cassian replied, standing up and his arms swinging slack by his sides.

"Oh, and the feather, dear?"

Cassian walked into the same room and reached up to the top of the cabinets to pull down the ink. He walked back in and found that Valiant had disappeared, up to his room probably. He handed the well to Cathy, and the feather to Duni.

"I think I will excuse myself," Cassian said, slipping out of the door.

"Bye bye, Cassi!" Duni shouted happily. 

 

Valiant had fallen asleep on his bed when suddenly a smell drifted up through the floorboards. It was the stench of sweat from Alphonzo. He tried to sleep through it, but amidst his tossing and turning, he found it to be impossible. He grumbled his way down the stairs with groggy eyes. The dining room was empty, and the torch's light was dim. He took it outside and sprinkled it with charcoal powder. He sat outside with the torch in a stand. He aired out his underwear sitting on the grass. The boars had been dragged to a bunker toward the back for refrigeration. 

Valiant was lying outside when he heard a loud snoring coming from inside the smithy. That was when he remembered why they had provided Cassian the room in the smithy. He could also smell that same stench coming from inside of the stone building. But it was strangely more alluring to him. He was laying there on the grass, not really paying attention but the snoring stopped. The door creaked open, and somehow smooth croaking came from Cassian's sleepy throat,

"Val? What're you... doing out there?"

"Al's fuckin' mank," he replied before turning around to see... flesh. All the flesh of a man. A true man. His eyes widened and he covered them, forcing him to fall to the ground. He made nary a sound because he knew that his family and all of the customers would be asleep. 

"Ha ha ha. What's wrong? We're both boys," Cassian crooned leaning his forearm on the door frame. His dick stood reaching passed his bellybutton with the foreskin peeled back. It was touched to his second set of abs.

"I know... just... I wasn't ready to see your massive horse cock!" Valiant whispered, shocked by the sheer size, and apparent hardness of it. 

"Sorry, it just... kinda happened. Can't control these kinds of things. Well... not with little time. Oh- peeyu! You stink!" 

"Same with you. Anyway, don't mind me. Just trying to get away from Al's stench," Valiant shuddered. 

"Yep. Wanna come in? It's cold out there."

"You smell too. I think I'll put up with it. And besides, I think you have something to deal with in private," Valiant said, his own private problem arising. 

"Thanks, buddy. I suppose I do," Cassian mumbled, stumbling back into the building. Valiant felt the need to look at him as he turned around. 

"Shit shit shit! I've gotta deal with this!" Valiant thought, looking down at his slowly rising cock. The boy got up and ran his way away to a bush. He then stroked himself to climax, rubbed his mess on the bush and tore the leaves off to blow away. He pulled his underwear back on and ran back to where he'd left the torch. He laid back down and stared at the sky. He eventually decided that the cold was more unbearable than the stench, and went back up to his room as quiet as he could. He lay in his bed, and realised that if he cracked his window open, the smell might leave. He did so, and after a while, he found that he could sleep.


	2. Big News!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valiant wakes up in the morning and his Mum is very angry with him. He, Alphonzo, and Cassian are told to bathe in the river and someone very important shows up.  
> Cassian tells Valiant something big and gets upset. Alphonzo feels inadequate about himself.  
> Big news comes up for Valiant and he has to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter actually starts the story and it brings in some cool new characters.

When he woke up, Valiant walked down the stairs in a pair of shorts over his underwear. He strode down the stairs with a renewed energy. As he reached the bottom, he found his mother with a towel outstretched. Her scowl looked the deepest it had ever been.

"Go wake Cassian up! When Al gets out here, the three of you are going to the river!"

"You stink!" Duni exclaimed, plugging her nose. 

"Ok. Thanks, Duni. Y'know, it was hard for me to sleep too. My room's right above him," Valiant mumbled, taking the towel from his mother and the other one off the table. 

Valiant walked through the back door and to the smithy. He knocked on the door, but over the snoring, he guessed that he wouldn't have been able to hear it so he walked in. He knew to be prepared for a dick, but he was just not truly ready. When he saw it, hard once more, he couldn't help making a small peep. 

"Uhh, hey! Cassian, get up!" Valiant commanded, looking down to the floor. 

"Grruuuh... gurr... guh...," Cassian groaned from the bed, tossing over, his eyes still closed. 

"Cassian, we've gotta go to the river! Mum said we have to go bathe!" Cassian turned once more, showing the blue of his eyes through his squint. 

"Really? Ugh. Just... wait a minute. I have things to do," Cassian grumbled, standing up and stumbling over to a corner of the room. The fact that he was just ignoring his boner confused Valiant, but he walked away, dropping his towel on the table in the actual smithy. Before leaving, Valiant played with one of Cassian's little boxes that littered the main smithy. 

When he returned to the house, Cathy and Duni had left, he assumed to the inn. Then he saw a stick of flesh, not a penis, but Alphonzo, bent over, walking from the hall. 

"Mornin'," Valiant said, continuing with, "Mum said we have to go to the river."

"What? Why? I don't smell anything," Alphonzo asked, sniffing his pit, and showing clear indifference. 

"Well, my nose would say something different. I couldn't fucking sleep last night because of you," Valiant said, handing another towel to Alphonzo.

"Well, I didn't smell anything."

"We're waiting for Cassian. You should put on some shorts over those."

Cassian walked in through the front door, and it seemed that all of them were going with a 'just shorts' look going to the river. Alphonzo grit his teeth and looking to the floor, he grumbled,

"Let's go, then."

The three of them walked down the street in just their shorts, the tall, muscular Cassian; and the second tallest, youngest, and middle of musculature, Valiant stood on the outside of the trio, while Alphonzo stood on the inside, looking down to the dirt. One of the girls of the village gave a wolf whistle. This perked up Alphonzo. Then he saw Cassian. Cassian was flexing his bicep, which then brought him back down. 

"Al? What's wrong?" Valiant asked, walking by his slim brother. 

"Nothing. What tells you there's something wrong?"

"Well, you're looking at the ground. And you're not running over there to flirt with her."

"Well I stink, don't I? Not exactly the best impression is it?"

The boys continued walking, and arrived at the river's walled public bathing spot. They walked in there, to the male side. Laying down their towels, they stripped their shorts and underwear off, and into the water they went. 

"How's it going, boys?" the old man, Llewyn's father asked from further away. 

"Hey there, Mr Filli!" Valiant exclaimed, ducking down into the water. 

"Chilly...," Alphonzo whispered to himself.

"Oh, the water's nice...," Cassian mumbled, walking further into the river. 

"I'm good! Just a little smelly," Valiant said, scrubbing himself with soap that he'd taken from a shelf on the wall. 

"Good, good. That boar that you got us was brilliant. Thanks!"

"I wasn't the one that got that one. It was Llewyn. You should give him more credit."

"Well, I suppose I should. At least he goes out there."

"He doesn't do much, but he's bagged some stuff.""Well, I'd best be off. Gotta open the store," Mr Filli grumbled, walking away, his stubby body hardly poking out of the water as he moved with his legs straight. 

"Mineral Man!" Cassian exclaimed as Mr Filli walked passed him. Mineral Man was Mr Filli's nickname around town. He liked it. He was the one that spread it around.

The boys grouped together. 

"You say I stunk, but I really can't tell," Alphonzo stated, going for another sniff of his hairy pits. He scrubbed it with his soap with a blank expression on his face. 

"I could smell you from the smithy!" Cassian exclaimed, rubbing the soap on his chest.

"Shut up!" Alphonzo exclaimed jovially, splashing Cassian with a large stream of water. Cassian chuckled, and splashed Alphonzo back with an even bigger stream of water. It hit Valiant, and he responded with another splash. 

The three nude boys got into a water fight, splashing water over each other. They were glistening, and Valiant saw Cassian's beefy biceps. He felt a stirring, and started walking away. He climbed out of the river, and dried his blonde hair. He rubbed his towel all over himself, and wrapped it around his waist. 

"What're you doing out there?" Cassian asked, another wave crashing over him. 

"Oh, I think I'm clean enough," Valiant said, sitting down on the grass, He looked at the boys playing in the clear water. He heard the opening of the door next to him. He then saw a gut preceding legs. Llewyn had walked in, and bent over before even closing the door again. Pulling down his pants and showing off his whole asshole to Valiant. He couldn't help convulsing at the sight. The two of them had been friends for a long time, and that killed any _possible_ attraction he could have held towards Llewyn.

"Euck! Llewyn, a little warning, please!" 

"Huh? Val? Maybe you shouldn't be sitting there?"

"Well, you shouldn't come in here and show off that little asshole of yours! The door isn't even closed yet!"

"Ugh!" Llewyn grunted, closing the door behind himself. He walked into the river after grabbing a bar of soap. 

The boys all stayed there for a while. Alphonzo and Cassian weren't done cleaning, and Valiant refused to leave without them. Cassian washed Valiant's back for him after he had gotten back into the river. Llewyn, Cassian, Valiant, and Alphonzo all chatted as they washed themselves. 

"Hey, let's get going!" Cassian insisted, shaking his head in his towel. He pulled it off, showing his hair spiking away from his head. 

"Yeah. I'm gonna go," Al stated.

"I'll be off soon," Valiant said, waving the boys off. Cassian and Alphonzo left the two boys behind. Llewyn looked at Valiant with a look of mixed emotion.

"You're still here because you wanna see some cock, aren't you? Fuckin' hell. I dunno if I should be proud or grossed out," Llewyn exclaimed, splashing water slightly. 

"No! Shut up! That's not why I'm here! I'm just getting up in a min-uhh...," Valiant exclaimed as a well-built man walked through the door. The man closed the door respectfully, and stripped himself of his shirt and pants. Valiant's eyes widened as he saw a cock he liked that matched the face and body. But... he was a fully-grown man who... he'd never seen in fifteen years. He was confused. He thought to himself, "Eeeeeeeh! Hold on, who the hell is that?"

"Hey! Never seen you before, Mr," Llewyn exclaimed, rubbing soap on all of the orifices of his body. 

"Well, I'd think so. I am not from around here," the man stated clearly. He walked into the river.

"Where are you from?" Llewyn asked, shoving his soap under his gut. 

"The northeast actually. Somewhere we have baths, and not just the river," he answered, splashing his chest with the water. Valiant felt like he should speak up, but he was scared that he'd say something that would scare the man away. 

"So, uhh, this is my buddy, Valiant. Say hi, Val," Llewyn exclaimed, gesturing towards Valiant.

Val put on an awkward smile and looked over to him. He looked under his brow, and gave a quick two-finger wave to him. He muttered, "Uhhh, hi."

He was trying to ignore the stirring under his towel, and tried not to look at the man's dick. 

"So what're you doing here anyway?"

"Well, my boss is pretty important and he is in town. My sister and I were assigned to his protection," the man replied, rubbing his throat with water. The water fell from the man's rugged jawline. It was covered in thin, black stubble. It was like the man's hair, but that was thick, and slicked to the side. 

"Important? How?""Well, I do not think you need to know that, do you?" 

"Please? Tell me? You can just whisper to me," Llewyn insisted, hand to his ear. The man walked over and whispered into Llewyn's ear. Valiant couldn't hear it, but desperately wished he were the one whose ear was being whispered into. 

"You happy now, kid?"

"That's surprising. I always imagined the kind of person that would work for someone like that would be a stick."

A woman's voice rang through the thin wooden wall separating the male ad female bathing sectors, "Edmond, we do not have much time. Stop fraternising."

"Oh. That's my sister. I suppose she is right. We must meet with our boss soon," the man - whose name appeared to be Emond - said, laying his back in the water. He continued, "Sorry to be a bother, but would you mind washing my back? Also, what might your name be?"

"Oh it's nothing. Not my name though. That's Llewyn."

"Hello, Nothing," Edmond joked as Llewyn scratched his back. Llewyn gave what Valiant thought to be an undeserved chuckle. "You're funny."

"Thank you, Llewyn. I must be off now. Valiant...," Edmond said, walking out of the river. Valiant hadn't noticed that his cock had cocked itself up, but Edmond had. Llewyn had. He was trying not to burst out with laughter. He commented, "Sorry, kiddo, but I like my men a little... legal."

"Wai-what? Shit! I'm so sorry! I didn't even realise."

"It's fine. You're just a kid, it happens. You told many people? He seems to know," Edmond said with half his eyes hiding underneath the lids and drying his hairy legs.

"Him, another guy, and a girl...," Valiant mumbled, placing his hands over his crotch that was covered by a towel. Edmond rubbed the towel on his bushy chest, smooth ass, curved back, along his dick, his face, and eventually his hair. 

"Strange amount of stuff I learned about you for someone I'll probably never see again," Edmond said, slipping into his red shirt.

"Who knows, we might meet again," Valiant thought to himself, feeling drool coming to his mouth. Llewyn could barely hold it in as Edmond pulled two layers on over his ass and cock. 

"You're ridiculous, Valiant Boland!" Llewyn exclaimed after Edmond had left.

"Shut up!"

Valiant left Llewyn behind in the bathing river, and, walking along, one girl gave him a quick whistle. He gave an awkward smile and wave at her before walking on. When he arrived near home, he found three horses with massive packs on them outside of the inn. He started running when he heard his mother screaming, 

"No! No!" 

As he opened the door, he yelled, "Mum! What's wrong?"

He saw Edmond, an old man and a woman standing in front of his mother, Alphonzo and Cassian. She screamed again,

"My baby is not going with you!"

"Ms Boland, calm down, please," the woman sighed, rubbing her olive forehead. 

"Who are you? What do you want with Duni?" Valiant asked, running around the woman. Edmond was surprised by the face that appeared before him. 

"We do not want Duni, Valiant. Please, calm down."

"You can take him for all I care," Alphonzo grumbled, staring at the woman who stood confidently with her arms crossed. 

"Cassian? Why do you want Cassian? Edmond! Tell me!" Valiant exclaimed, pushing his hand onto Edmond's shoulder aggressively. The old man decided that he should croak his way in,

"It is not Cassian we desire. No, boy. I believe it is you who we need."

"What?"

"You are the youngest son of this family, yes?" the woman inquired, grabbing Valiant's arm to remove it from Edmond's shoulder. 

"Yes...?" 

"Well, you have what I need," the old man said with his croaking voice. 

"What?" 

"You have what I need, boy. The spirits told me that there were two potential wizards in this town. The youngest son of this inn, and some other boy. Same age."

"The spiri- wai-what? Me, a wizard?"

"Yes, Valiant. We're here to take you on as an apprentice wizard. Do you think that you might know the other one?" Edmond asked with a cool, calm, smooth voice. 

"N-no...? Sorry, but this just seems insane!"

"Valiant, it's not happening! You're only fifteen!"

"Mum, it's my choice, not yours," Valiant grunted, glaring at his mother. "You...," Cathy sobbed, looking into Valiant's eyes with her best puppy dog eyes. 

"Mum, no. Let me hear them out!"

"So... we are here to give you the opportunity to come and live in my castle. The city is called Amzu, just so you know. You will undertake training to learn to use magic. For combat and utility. You will be in charge of the protection of the country. There will be envoys from Priania coming through, and bandits often attack us as we are on the border of Oclar's Grand Dragon's territory. What do you say? Do you want to come and live with us?" the old man announced after clearing his throat. 

"I can fight. I can use magic? What? How?"

"Well, there are many types to use. For example," the old man said, lifting his wooden staff from the floor, and floating the table behind him.

"Woah!" Duni exclaimed, looking at the table with stars in her eyes. 

"Wow... I can do that?" 

"Not at the moment, but you can learn to. So, what do you say?"

"I would love to go!""Val! No! Please! Not my baby! Please don't let my baby die!"

"You don't have to worry, Cathy. I will go along with him," Cassian said, putting his hand on the woman's shoulder. Edmond looked him up and down, and asked,

"What's your name?"

"Me? Cassian Finley," he responded, waiting for a loud shout from behind him. Several seconds passed, and it came,

"He's my brother! No way you're the only one looking after him!"

Alphonzo stepped in front of Cassian, and grabbed Valiant. Cassian and Alphonzo both stood, holding Valiant's shoulders, and standing with him. 

"Your name, boy?" the woman asked.

"Alphonzo Boland. What of it?"

"If all three of you are gone... what will I do? How will we get food?" 

"Kyler and Llewyn will still be here. I'm sure they will provide for you. They are good hunters."

"They should not have to. I should have my boys," Cathy sobbed, looking at the boys in front of her. She looked at the boys... and realised how grown up all of them had become. She remembered that day that her husband had brought Cassian and Valiant back. She remembered the first word that Alphonzo had said,

"Me!"

She saw the man who had first come into her house crying and screaming for his old family standing up for his new family. And Valiant, who had been a quiet child, standing up for himself. Even if it were against her, she couldn't help her pride towards the boys she had raised. They had all grown so much. 

"Alright... my boys. Time to leave the nest. ...I guess...," Cathy mumbled, picking up Duni.

"Ms Boland, you can leave too, you know?" the woman informed, placing her hand on Cathy's shoulder.

"No, I cannot. This is where I was born. Where I got married. Where my children grew up. Where I met every single one of my friends. There is nothing outside of this town for me," Cathy explained.

"Well, Ms Boland. Can I call you Cathy? That is your choice," the woman said.

"Thank you. Boys, you can go...," Cathy mumbled, looking at the boys - her boys. 

"Mum! Thank you!"

"Mummy, what do we do?" Duni asked. 

"Actually... we could send down here for you every month. You gave us three strong boys, you are worth the effort," the man coughed.

"Really? Thank you!"

"Oh- I never told you, did I, Valiant? My name is Aldrik," the old man croaked. 

The old man, Edmond, and the woman left the family behind with time to pack. Cathy retired to her room sobbing. Alphonzo had rushed into his room to pack bags. Cassian and Valiant stood in the dining room of the house, talking about what had just happened.

"You knew that guy?" Cassian asked, talking about Edmond. Valiant nodded, and replied,

"Yeah. I saw him at the river after you left."

"Really? You get a good look?"

"Excuse me?""Well... he looked pretty good, and his sister was wearing a ring. We're gonna be on the road for a while..."

Valiant closed his eyes tightly and reopened them. He was trying to see if he was dreaming. He was not. He looked at Cassian, and he looked back. 

"What? You don't like that? I like girls too," Cassian whispered, patting Valiant on the shoulder, and walking out the front door. Valiant shivered, hugged himself, and ran up the stairs. He packed his bags quickly, trying to force the strange joy from himself. He tried to get his heart from beating so fast, but it did not work. To think that he wasn't the only one who liked both, and in his own house no less! He was so happy!

Valiant heard a knock from his door. It was his mum. She had her head poking through a small opening. She asked,

"Hey, Val. Could I come in?"

"Yeah."

"Well... while you are gone, your body will be going thr-," Cathy began before Valiant interrupted her.

"No! Al already told me all this. Please don't. It was already awkward enough with him," Valiant exclaimed, covering his face with a pillow.

"Oh... he did? I just wanted to make sure you knew before you left. I'm not gonna be there with you."

"Well it's fine. Al told me about vagina and all that."Cathy left once more, mumbling to herself as she walked. Valiant returned to packing everything he could with all the energy he could. He couldn't get rid of all of these weird feelings. He was trying to force them out - the butterflies from what Cassian had told him. 

Another knock came to Valiant's door, this time it was Alphonzo. He answered, pulling the door open. Alphonzo stated clearly,

"Just so you know, they're back. They're getting some rooms in the inn."

"Ok... I'm still packing. I guess we're leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah. That's what Aldrik said. He seems to think that he's all-knowing. He's been saying weird stuff in there," Alphonzo said, pulling himself from the door. 

Meanwhile, in the smithy, Cassian lay on his bed, scrunched up in pain. He was thinking of Valiant. What he'd told him. How he'd reacted. His hand was on his broad chest, holding where his heart was. He had been such good friends with Valiant in the past, but now he didn't even say a word.

"Val...," he was thinking over and over again. Then one thought broke through the sound, "I love you."

The memory of those words from Valiant. It replaced the silence Val had given him. He tried beating his chest to bring his heart back up. But it was not working. Then his head was filled with that silence once more.

In the inn, Edmond lay down his pack on the floor of his room. He was thinking of the family who had just given him board for the night. More specifically, the eldest boy. He wasn't sure how old he was, but he liked the look of him.

He heard a knock from the door. He opened it up and his sister was standing out the front of it. She barged passed him and sat on his bed. 

"That woman... she seems to love those boys a lot," she said, sitting down on his bed.

"Well, I'd assume... she did raise them. Mama loved us a lot," Edmond mumbled, sitting on the floor in front of the bed.

"Oh, yes. As I remember, she loved your 'deviant' ways."

"Jeanne! Don't blame her. She was raised by a cult!"

"And so was I. I didn't care about it. She couldn't look passed somebody else's beliefs!"

"What did I just say? Anyway, let's move off of that. What're the odds that I met Valiant and Llewyn before we went to their houses?"

"This is not a very big town, little brother. It is not very unlikely. I do have my thoughts on the boy Llewyn."

"Huh? What's wrong with him?"

"His... size. Plumpness. Rotund shape. He's fat!"

"Yes. And? That just means he can get more muscular.""But are you sure he would have the work ethic to get that?""Did you see his dad? Or his sister? It's probably passed on."

"We cannot trust in that. I want you to be extra harsh on him so he isn't a waste of a wizard," Edmond's sister - Jeanne - informed.

"Waste of a wizard? Really, Jeanne? Is it really that bad if he's fat?"

"Larger target, less mobility, assumed lesser strength."

Hours passed, and Valiant had finished packing so he left the house. He went to the tree that Kyler usually read under. He was there like normal, his nose stuck so deep into a book that he didn't notice Valiant. 

"Ky! Hey! I've got big news!"

"Wha-? Oh, it's you. Big news?"

"Yeah! So... let me tell you what happened first...," Valiant began before explaining from meeting Edmond in the river. "Wait, so you're leaving? But... what about the three of us? Val, Ky, and Llew! You're just gonna leave us for some old man? You couldn't have had one of those sexy lady witches?"

"Well I'm sorry that he divined me as one of the possible wizards in this town," Valiant said sarcastically, sitting next to Kyler on the tree. Llewyn ran up to the tree with his gut bouncing up and down as he did. 

"Guys...," he panted, putting his hands on his knees. He continued, "I've got big news!"

"You too?" Kyler asked from the foot of the tree.

"What?"

"This kid here is going to fucking Amzu!""Wait, that's you?""Huh? That's you?" Valiant exclaimed, pointing at Llewyn.

"The two of you are leaving me? Really? Come on!" 

"Well, it's not my fault that I was just born amazing," Llewyn said, using his gut as an armrest. 

"You squandered that then," Kyler commented, dog-earing his book. 

"Shut your filthy whore mouth!""Me a whore? I'm a fucking virgin!"

"I know that, but shut up, bitch!"

"Wow, this how you say goodbye? Thanks," Kyler mumbled, closing the book and laying it down on the grass. 

"We don't leave till tomorrow. What are we doing until then? We need to say a proper goodbye to Yarrin!" Valiant exclaimed, pushing himself up to his feet.

"Well, why don't I tell Kyler about the river?"

"I already told him about Edmond and the tent. But what are we gonna do?"

"I have an idea...," Kyler said with a low voice. 

"And that is...?" Llewyn asked, walking behind the boys who had already overtaken him. 

"Come with me," Kyler grumbled, walking ahead of the other two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sure do hope this chapter brings in more hits.


	3. GOODBYE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valiant puts things in order before leaving Yarrin. Many conversations in this conversations in this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're kinda just dorks?

The boys were in front of the town hall holding wooden buckets. Kyler explained,

"I read about this in a book. You can say goodbye in a fun way!"

They unfurled a roll of paper, and quickly hung it on the side of the building. The boys went about painting in a different colour each. Valiant, red, Kyler, purple, and Llewyn, pink. They painted one big word, "GOODBYE".

"Hehehe! This was fun, Ky! Didn't think you had it in you!" Llewyn exclaimed, jumping back and knocking over the bucket of liquified purple flower powder. 

"Llew! Run!" Valiant exclaimed, running away from the wall. Kyler and Llewyn ran after him, waving their arms in the air. They found themselves on the edge of the forest. 

"Phew! Don't think they caught us!" Valiant panted, leaning on a tree. 

"Good!"

"Left my mark!" Llewyn panted.

"Dumbass! You just knocked it over!" Kyler exclaimed.

"Hah... let's... uh... not die...?" Valiant asked, panting with a red face. 

"You alright?" Kyler asked, patting Valiant on the back. 

"Yeah... it's just that I... have a lot on my mind," Val panted, falling to the ground.

"I get it. You're leaving your life behind. Eva. Me. Your mum," Kyler said, sitting down next to the boy.

"Well that's not what's the heaviest. Cassi told me something. Something big."

"What was it?" Llewyn asked, joining the other boys. 

"He's like me," Valiant sighed.

"You mean what you told us yesterday?"

"Yeah. He told me he liked boys and girls... but I didn't say anything. I should have..."

"Oh, shit. You should go now!" Llewyn said, hitting the ground.

"You think so?"

"Yeah! The longer you go without telling him anything, the longer he thinks you hate him!"

"He... thinks I hate him? Fuck that! I'm gone," Valiant shouted, running on the lowest angle with the ground he could. 

"That's fast. He really cares," Kyler mumbled. 

"Speak up, bud! This is my last day with you, and that just means that all of the work I put into you was a waste!"

"Sorry, Llewyn! I guess he really cares!" Kyler repeated with a clear throat and wide mouth.

"Good."

Valiant arrived at the door to the smithy with his face the reddest it had ever been. He was panting the heaviest he had his whole life. The boy was tired, but he had the conviction left to knock at the door before collapsing to the dirt. Cassian answered, and saw the boy laying on the ground with his eyes closed, crumpled up on the stone wall of the smithy. Sweat beaded his brow, and groans left his mouth. Cassian couldn't understand it, but the groans were,

"I'm sorry."

"Val? You good?"

No answer.

"Oh, Lord." 

Cassian grabbed Valiant from the pits, and pulled him up against himself, and dragged the boy dressed in red into the smithy. After laying Valiant down on his bed, Cassian ran into the inn. He took the water pail, and tested the temperature. It was warm. 

"How can I cool this? There's a wizard here. I'm a dumbass!" he thought to himself. He ran to the foyer, and found Cathy. He asked frantically, "Where's that old wizard guy? He's back now, right?"

"Huh? What's wrong? He's in room thirteen, why?"

"Val's fainted. I put him on my bed. I need this water cooled quickly," Cassian said, already halfway out the door. He tried to open the door to room thirteen, but it didn't budge. He knocked, and yelled, "Old man! Aldrik, let me in! I need your magic!"

The door creaked open, and Aldrik was standing there. He looked at the boy before him, and saw the worried look. He asked, "What ever is wrong, Cassian?"

"Val's fainted, and we need cold water," Cassian explained with a flighty look. 

"Cold water? Why, I need just use my magic. Guide me to the boy."

Cassian walked with haste to the smithy, and looked back, finding that Aldrik had still not left the inn. He was so worried. 

"What did he come to my door for? Why? I didn't think he would ever talk to me again," were some of the thoughts going through his head. 

Aldrik finally arrived at the door with Cassian, and went into the room. He was stunned for a second, exclaiming, "Big duality energy!"

"What? Just... wake him up."

"Yes, yes. I was just surprised by the energy of this room," Aldrik grumbled, shuffling over to the side of the bed alongside Cathy. He closed his eyes, and laid his wrinkly hands on Valiant's forehead and chest. He started chanting, "Frio, frio, frio."

"Is he alright?" Cathy asked.

"It seems like mere over-exhaustion accompanied by extreme mental stress. He keeps saying sorry. Would either of you happen to know what for?"

"Is it because of how he burst out at me?" Cathy asked.

"He came to my door and knocked. I know exactly why. It's ok, Val. I'm sorry," Cassian sighed, sitting next to him on the bed. 

"What? What is it?" Cathy asked.

"I'd... rather not tell you."

"Why? If it worried my boy so much, then I need to know what it is."

"I... um... told him something... about myself. I told him about how I like boys and girls," Cassian mumbled, covering his face. Cathy grabbed his hands, pulling them away from his face, and kissed him on the forehead.

"You... you're my son. You can tell me anything. I love you," Cathy said, pulling back away because of the awkward position over Aldrik.

"Thank you, Mum," Cassian mumbled, looking the woman who had raised him for most of his life. 

"And?"

"I love you," he finished.

After around a minute of Aldrik's chanting, Valiant opened his eyes. He was shivering when he said through chattering teeth once more, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Cassian said, trying to find somewhere to place his hand comfortingly, but unable to find a normal spot. He laid his hand on Valiant's belly.

"Wh-why am I s-so cold?"

"Apologies, it is my spell. You overheated," Aldrik explained.

"Thank you, Aldrik. I-it's nice to know that you are a nice p-p-person."

"Mum, Aldrik, would you leave us?"

"Hmm? Yes, of course," Aldrik said, removing his freezing hands from Valiant's body. The pair of them left the room, and eventually the smithy.

"What happened?" Valiant asked wearily, looking through slit-eyes at Cassian. Cassian slid himself up the bed, bending the sheets to his will and put his hand on the boy's chest.

"Ooh- cold."

"I know. It's freezing for me," Valiant said through clenched teeth. 

"So... you were saying that you were sorry...," Cassian said, looking into the boy's clenched eyes. 

"Yes. I am _so_ sorry for not saying anything when you told me. I feel so bad. I know how I would've felt if you did the same thing to me. I-," Valiant began before Cassian cut in with,

"Why would I do that to you?"

Valiant's eyes opened further, and he looked at Cassian with a clear view. 

"Because we're the same...," he mumbled.

"What was that? Really?"

"Yeah. I like boys and girls."

"Is that why you stayed behind at the river earlier? You wanted to play around with Llewyn?"

"No! He's not like us! I don't like him like that either! Ew! I did meet Edmond there, though... and yeah. I got a good look. He looked real nice under those clothes."

"Oh... thanks for telling me."

"I... kinda made a tent under my towel because of him," Valiant whispered.

"Oh. Did he...?"

"Yes."

"Rough, bud. Anyway, you think you can walk?"

"Duh!" Valiant exclaimed, pushing himself up with his arms.

"Cool. You wanna get out of my bed?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Anyway, I think I should go thank Aldrik. Thank you too, by the way," Valiant said, standing up and walking towards the door.

"You're welcome," Cassian said, laying on the bed.

Valiant left the room. He left the smithy. He went into his room, and hugged his chest. His heart was calm, but he was happy. His chest was lightening, and he loved it. The feeling it gave him was so fantastic. He wanted it to keep on coming and coming, but he wouldn't go screaming his love for boys and girls from the rooftops. He couldn't. Because he was scared that someone would be hateful towards him and bring him down. 

Valiant left his room, and went into the inn. He found himself at Aldrik's door. Before he could knock, the door opened, and Aldrik looked up with an unsurprised look. 

"Yes, Valiant?"

"Oh, you came out quickly. I just wanted to come to say thank you," Valiant answered, looking down to the old, wrinkled man. 

"You are welcome. So, you are friends with Llewyn? Strange coincidence."

"How did you know that?"

"The spirits told me again."

"So... while I'm here... I wanted to ask. What's up with magic? How does it work? I know I'm meant to learn with Llewyn, but now that I'm here...," Valiant said.

"Oh, come in then," Aldrik said, showing him in.

Valiant walked in, and Aldrik directed him to sit on the floor. The two of them sat there on the rug. Aldrik drew a circle on the rug with his finger. Blue light trailed behind it, and formed that exact circle that he had drawn.

"This is the world," Aldrik began before drawing a larger circle around the one already there. he explained, "and this is the spirit world. The spirit world is where all of the spirits live if the name didn't give it away. The area that the world takes up in this circle shows the overlap of the two worlds. Anyone has the potential to see into the spirit world, some are born into it, others have to train and study hard to do it."

"So... I was one of the ones born into it?"

"Well, partly. You were born with a higher aptitude for it than others. We call this 'the grand sight'. The grand sight allows you to divine. It is one of the most useful kinds of magic. Well, when it comes to strategies that is. Divination allows for communing with the spirits. Anyway, let's not get too sidetracked. Magic is the control of energies in the spirit world, and this can be done in many different ways. These circles here, for example, are manipulations of the energy 'Exul'," Aldrik continued. Valiant blinked with confusion. Aldrik noticed, and inquired, "Shall we continue this on the ride or at Amzu? You do not seem to understand at the moment."

"Yes, I believe that would be better. There we will have more time to go over the intricacies of magic."

Valiant politely said goodbye to Aldrik, and left the room. As he was walking to the door to the field out back, Valiant ran into Jeanne. She looked him in the eye and said, 

"Do work hard, Valiant."

"Hmm? Of course. I'm sorry, I never got your name," Valiant said, scowling in confusion. 

"My name is Jeanne Russo. You have met my brother Edmond. Now, if you would excuse me, I am returning to my room."

"Ok," Valiant said, waving to Jeanne. He thought to himself, "She's strange..."

Valiant returned to his room once more, and looked out of the window. He looked to the horizon off in the distance, and stared. Nothing was out there, he just liked it. It was so peaceful out there. Nothing really happened out there.

"Hey, Val," Alphonzo sounded from the door.

"Oh. When did you get there?"

"Just now. Duh. So... I came in here to check on how you were doing. Mum said that you fainted?"

"Yeah... I was kinda running and stressed so I overheated."

"Doesn't feel too great does it?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"'Member when you laughed and made fun of me because I fainted one time? I was struggling with holding a relationship together, and school, and working at the inn, and dad had just left and I had cross-country."

"No. I don't remember that. I was too young I think," Valiant said, walking back and plopping himself down on the bed.

"Too young? How old were you when Dad left?" Alphonzo asked, walking into the room, and sitting next to the bed.

"Five."

"Ah, that would explain it. I can remember that day vividly. And _I_ was only six."

"Yeah. I didn't really know Dad. I can remember what he looked like, though."

"Yeah. He was real short I remember. Both of us got our height from Mum."

"Height? You're short, and we can't really judge Duni. She's just a kid."

"Shut up! You and Cassian are just freakishly tall!"

"Are we? Most of the town is taller than you."

"How many people are in this town?"

"Quite a lot. Compared to the town to the south..."

"This is a rural town. Just wait 'til we get to Amzu. I'm sure there'll be plenty'a people shorter than me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, you're not just like Dad."

"Actually, I've kinda been thinking that we might be like him. We're leaving Mum out of the blue. I'm kinda worried about her."

"She's a big girl. Anyway, you don't have to come. I already have Cassian coming with me. I don't need both of you."

"Wow, thanks, Val," Alphonzo sighed.

"Sorry, but it's true."

Alphonzo looked at the window. He got up and walked over slowly. Looking out the window, Alphonzo asked, 

"You gonna miss this view? It's pretty great."

"Yeah, I know. I'll miss this place, but we're going to a castle! We're gonna have such a beautiful view! We'll probably be able to see Priania from there."

"Isn't it a stone city up there? Doesn't sound like it'll be too good-looking."

"How would you know? It'll be different to this. I do think I might need a change."

"Oh, yeah? What kind of change?"

"It's already happening, dummy!" 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm goin' now," Alphonzo said, getting up and taking leave of the room.

"See ya."

Valiant stayed in his room, laying on his bed, looking at the ceiling. He was absorbing that same view when he heard from downstairs,

"Dinner's ready!"

Valiant walked down the stairs and found the family sitting there. Cassian, Alphonzo, Duni, and his mother. He stopped for a second, noticing the extra addition at the table. It was Edmond. He was sitting in Valiant's usual seat across from Cassian. Instead of saying anything about the positioning, Valiant took up a chair at the head of the table. 

"Hello, there, Valiant," Edmond said, turning his face to Valiant's direction.

"Hi, Edmond," Valiant said with a smile on his face. 

"Aren't you gonna ask about why he's here, Val?" Cathy asked from the other end of the table. 

"I wasn't gonna be rude. But... why are you here?" Valiant asked as Alphonzo entered the room. 

"Well, my sister and I cut up one of the boars that I hear you brought down. She insisted that she need not recompense."

"None of my bear?" Alphonzo asked, sitting in his seat. 

"Oh, you brought that down? I just assumed that that was Cassian here. I mean...," Edmond began, "he looks the strongest of the four of you."

"Huh? Nu-uh! That's me!" Duni exclaimed, shaking her head. 

"Oh, Duni," Cassian mumbled, looking down to the girl sitting next to Cathy. She looked him straight in the eye with an angry pout.

"What was that? You think I'm lying?"

"Yeah, Edmond? I think you might need some specs! It's clearly me!" Alphonzo exclaimed, pointing his thumb into his chest. Edmond looked at Alphonzo with squinted eyes.

"I... do not think so, young man. Do you mind if I just," Edmond began before grabbing onto Alphonzo's arm, whispering, "Just as I thought. Not too big, not too noodly."

"Eh? What was that?"

"It's not a bad thing, Alphonzo. Even Cassian has a weakness in those big arms. Just because they can deliver more power does not mean that they cannot be hit more easily. With more buff arms, let's say, if you got captured by the enemy, you would not be able to escape from shackles. You might not believe this, but metal does not buckle to flesh."

"You're makin' me feel good 'bout myself. I like this guy!" Alphonzo exclaimed, grabbing Edmond by the neck.

"Al, please let our guest go," Cathy said with a happy smile on her face. Al did as she said, leaning on the table. 

"Shall we pray?" Cassian asked, his eyes having moved to his front. 

"Oh, yes," Cathy began.

"Umm, may I lead us?" Edmond asked.

"Of course...," Cathy responded. 

"Thank you."

Edmond lead the prayer, similar to Cathy's from the night before, adding in words from a different language and confusing the others.

"That was strange. You're Ancuskan?" Cassian asked, unclasping his hands.

"You recognised it? That's impressive for the 'servant' of a family that does not hold very much money."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not a _real_ servant. That's just a legal excuse."

"Over adoption?"

"Well yes. If it were adoption, anyone could have gotten me. The father of this house saved my life, so you can understand why I'd appreciate living here."

"Oh? Wha- actually, I think it best to retract that question."

"You two done? You haven't even touched the food," Alphonzo asked through a full mouth. 

"Oh, sorry. And after all of the work you put into cooking this for us, ma'am."

"O-oh... no, no. You need not worry. You put in so much more work than me," Cathy said.

"Labour and other forms of work are no different to each other."

"That's a strange stance," Cassian said, taking a bite out of his pork.

"What's wrong with that? It's true isn't it?"

"Well they're of equal value, but..."

"But what? The energy? Having to recharge after?" 

"Yes. Exactly."

"Would you two shut up 'n eat already?"

"Sorry, Al," Cassian mumbled, rolling his eyes, and grabbing some more food.

"So, Val, you fainted. Are you alright?" Cathy asked.

"Yes. I am alright, Mum. I... just got a little too excited when I was running. I'm fine for the moment."

"That's good. Ah- Duni, please eat a little slower. You'll end up like your brothers."

"Hey!" Alphonzo exclaimed, letting out some of the food that was near bursting from his cheeks.

"See?"

Duni swallowed her food and said, "Sorry."

"Good, Duni. Learning your manners is very important," Edmond explained, nodding at Duni with a smile.

"Thank you, sir!" Duni exclaimed.

"Oh, I am no sir. I am a man, but no royal knight. That is my dream, though."

"You should be honoured that she called you that then," Cassian interjected.

"Oh, believe me, I am. I just feel that it undercuts the power of my dream."

"Makes sense," Cassian said right before biting into some more food. 

"Hey, Edmond, your sister, Jeanne, is pretty weird isn't she?" Valiant asked after swallowing some food. Edmond looked over to Valiant and swallowed his food. 

"Oh, yeah. We were raised in a... strange way. Even for Ancusk. She's older, so the... things we were taught are more ingrained in her."

"Stra- actually, no," Cassian mumbled, looking down to the table. He'd figured that he'd already asked enough about Edmond, and didn't want to seem too nosey. Edmond looked at Cassian, having only just caught it in his ear.

"I heard that. You were going to ask what I meant. I'd rather not go into it here. Maybe I will tell you when we are at Amzu."

Edmond, Cassian, and the Boland family ate until they were all finished, Alphonzo patted Edmond on the back, and said,

"Your portions're great! So much there too eat!"

"Thank you, Alphonzo. I do not typically do such things in the castle, and I was not exactly sure how large the portions should have been."

"So what kind of stuff _do_ you do at the castle?" Cassian asked, looking up from his empty plate.

"I am second-in-command of castle security. Jeanne is first in command."

"So you're quite high up. Did you start there?"

"No. Of course not. My strange childhood was not one of a noble, I can tell you that."

"You must've worked hard to get where you are, then. Good for you," Cathy beamed with an enigmatic smile. 

"Thank you, Catherine."

"Oh no, Cathy is fine."

"Yeah! Ma doesn't like bein' called that!" Alphonzo exclaimed, getting up and standing behind his chair. 

"Never mind. It's not a big deal. My husband was the only one that called me that."

"My apologies, Cathy. I did not know that the name was of sentimental meaning to you," Edmond apologised, reaching his tanned hand on the table.

"No, no, Edmond. I already said that it wasn't a big deal."

"No. I feel that I must apologise. Your husband is no longer with you, and that must be incredibly painful to you. I have brought up old memories, and I am sorry."

"Ok, I accept your apology."

A knock came from the door, and Jeanne popped her head from it. She walked in, and placed her wooden plate on the counter.

"Thank you for the sustenance," she announced clearly, about to leave the door already.

"Jeanne, why don't you join us? I'd love to chat," Cathy said, looking at the gleaming gold around her finger.

"Okay. What do you wish to discuss?"

"Well, firstly... that ring! Who is he? Are you married? Engaged?"

"I am married. My husband's name is Gabriel. He likes me to call him Gabe, however."

"Ok. What kind of a man is he?"

"He makes me very happy. He is a bard."

"What type of bard is he?" Cassian chimed in.

"A singer. He wrote a song about me."

"You really aren't doing him any favours, sister."

"Sorry. He and Edmond are very close friends. Would you mind, brother?"

"Of course not. Jeanne here isn't very good at communicating her emotions. If she is going to do it, it will be through her actions."

"Yes. I saved Gabe before I proposed to him."

"You proposed? Scandalous!"

"Gabe is not a very brave man. I had to do it, or nothing would have happened."

"That is a good point. If he ever gets any hecklers when performing, he will stop singing and run away. He is quite a funny man, wouldn't you agree, Jeanne?"

"Yes. He makes me laugh."

"She laughs?" ran through Alphonzo's head.

"Where to start with Gabriel?" Edmond began, "Well, he's Ancuskan like the two of us. He is a phenomenal singer. He performed for Aldrik and that's when we met. He was the first person from Oclar that made Jeanne laugh since we had come here. He charmed her the first time that they met, but they were both too awkward to actually say anything about their emotions, so I had to push them together. I'm sure you boys will meet him while we are there."

"Would you call him a coward?" Cassian asked.

"No. He does not like that. Please refrain from such language around him," Jeanne insisted. She asked, "Ms Boland, what was your husband like?"

"Well he was kind, strong, forgetful, funny, serious. He was a lot of things. I'd rather not talk about him. Boys would you describe your father for Jeanne?"

"I hate 'im!" Alphonzo exclaimed, turning to the standing figure.

"Excuse me?" Jeanne inquired.

"He left us outta the blue! I got made fun of 'cause of him! I hate him because of that!"

"He was a hero, Al. I know he left, but had he not been around when he was, I would most likely be dead. Your brother too," Cassian explained.

"I know that, but he's a jerk! He just left Mum and us for no reason."

"I'm sure there was a reason. Even if he didn't tell us," Valiant muttered, looking down to the ground. 

"I'm sure there was, Valiant," Edmond mumbled, holding his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, the travelling will start, and, hey, Cassian may get his fun.


	4. On the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valiant, Llewyn, Cassian, Alphonzo, Edmond, Jeanne and Betsy depart from Yarrin towards Amzu. On their way, they encounter a threatening beast, and stop in a village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's longer than the rest, but I like it.

Valiant awoke in the morning. Bags in hand, he walked down the stairs, finding his mother asleep embracing Alphonzo. He wasn't really sure what had happened, but he decided that he would leave them for the time being. He looked out the front window and saw the dawn light flooding over the town as real morning arrived. He went out the back and couldn't hear the snoring of Cassian as he normally would, so decided to prepare himself to see the dick again and entered the forge. 

Valiant crept around the corner to Cassian's room, and saw him there, pulling a singlet over his body. He was wearing no pants, and Valiant saw his cock once more, as he'd expected.

"Oh. Valiant, what are you doing here? Did you hope to hop in bed with me?" Cassian asked, pulling his tight underpants up, over his thighs.

"No. I knew you were awake," Valiant said, feeling something rushing up to his head. His blood, he assumed.

"How would you know that? That doesn't make sense," Cassian said, sliding into a pair of pants. 

"I couldn't hear your snoring. It's a pretty clear indicator."

"I don't snore! Shut your yap!"

"Al? When did you get here?"

"Hey, that's offensive," Cassian moaned, leaning on the wall. 

Cassian took his bags with him, and Valiant accompanied him to the house. When the bags hit the floor, Alphonzo woke up without moving. He kissed Cathy on the forehead. 

"Sorry for waking you," Valiant whispered, taking an apple out of the cupboard and biting into it.

"You're alright," Al whispered, trying to push his mother's arms off without waking her up. He was unable to do so, and she woke up.

"Al, you wanna get up...?" Cathy moaned, opening her eyes slightly. 

"Uhh... sorry... yeah," Alphonzo groaned.

Cathy moved, and Alphonzo climbed over her, and walked into his room before quickly returning with his bags hanging from everywhere that was possible. He laid them down, and quickly grabbed some food from the cupboard before eating it.

"Shall we go check on them? See if they're ready?" Cassian asked, running his fingers through his long, curled hair.

"Yeah. Let's go," Valiant answered, hand already on the door handle. 

Cassian, Alphonzo, and Valiant all went into the inn. Valiant knocked on Aldrik's door to no answer. He could hear light breathing through the door, and guessed that Aldrik was still asleep. He opened the door, and, as predicted, it was true. Aldrik was asleep in some of the longest, most lavish robes Valiant had ever seen. He looked very peaceful. Valiant did not wish to disturb him, but fought that thought. 

Valiant shook Aldrik's shoulder to no response and decided to continue shaking. Eventually, Aldrik's eyes opened. They were filled with not eyeballs, but a swirling, blue, starry sky-like image. Valiant flinched after seeing this. He stepped back and stepped forward again, looking into the image for a while. 

Alphonzo knocked on Jeanne's door, and heard rustling in the room. The door took a while to creak open but it did to a fully dressed Jeanne in full horse-riding gear. Alphonzo asked,

"Are you ready yet?"

She responded with a confused look, as though she were patronising him with her eyes. She nodded lightly, and she closed the door on him. He was confused.

"She's really strange," he thought to himself, "She can talk, and she's a leader, but she doesn't speak."

Cassian knocked on Edmond's door several times, and didn't get an answer. He knew that he should have just entered the room but felt a deep feeling that kept him from doing it. He thought that maybe it was a sense of preserving privacy, but he knew that it was the fact that he was deeply into the man's body. His very presence had caused him to tell Valiant and Cathy about who he liked. He wouldn't dare think that he would have a chance with someone like that. He just assumed that Edmond was into girls and that was it. Nothing else, so he shouldn't even try. He remembered what he'd said to Valiant and thought about how stupid he was. Not everybody was like him. 

He listened with his ear pressed to the door, and didn't hear the slightest noise. He put his hand on the handle, turned it, and creaked the door open. He saw the bed, and a foot. He realised that Edmond was in there, and saw pants, so opened the door further. He was surprised to find that Edmond was still wearing the same pants that he had worn the night before to dinner. But there was nothing more on him. His shirt was off, flung on the floor, his belt was hanging off the bed, his boots were on the wooden desk that ran along the wall, laying in different places.

"Slob... just like Al...," Cassian thought to himself, looking into the room. Then he noticed something that differentiated him from Alphonzo. His toned body and arms. His eyes stopped there, looking at the olive skin there in the dim light of the room. His body hadn't stopped, though. He was moving closer to the man in the pants. He felt his arms going to feel his pecs and stopped himself, redirecting himself to the shoulder. He lightly tapped it and at that moment, he jumped into action. He was on the floor in less than seconds. His belt was not there, and his pants began to fall down so he grabbed them with one hand and balled a fist in blindness.

"Oh. It's just you. Sorry 'bout that," Edmond said, taking his hand and placing it on Cassian's shoulder, forgetting his pants. They fell to the ground, avoiding Edmond's grasping hands, and Cassian looked down to the shape that he found so beautiful. He found it. He'd seen the second form of the crotch. Edmond shouted, "Shit! I'm so sorry, Cassian!" Cassian found himself in a stupor, unable to form words. He knew that his face would have been flushed tomato red, which it was, and hid it immediately.

"No, no. It was just an accident! There's no need to be sorry!" he somehow managed to say, forming the words through the intense amount of saliva that seemed to have suddenly materialised out of nowhere.

Alphonzo walked in, turned straight back around, and walked out. 

Valiant was staring into the space where Aldrik's eyes should have been when they appeared from nowhere. Aldrik blinked a few times, readjusting his sight. He realised that Valiant was standing above him, and his eyes widened slightly. 

"Valiant? What are you doing here?" he asked in a dazed state. 

"We were checking whether you were ready to get moving. So, uhh, why were your eyes like that just now?"

"Oh, sometimes I enter visions while I sleep. You must have seen my eyes while I could see in the spirit world."

"What did you see?"

"Oh, I do not typically retain the memories of the time I see in there," Aldrik responded, getting up and removing his robes faced away from Valiant.

"Shall I leave you to get changed?"

"I will not be long," Aldrik stated, his robes floating over his wrinkly body.

"Could you show me how to do that?" Valiant asked, "Float things, I mean."

"Well of course when Llewyn is with us. I cannot allow the gap between the two of you grow too large."

Valiant took his leave of the room, and went back to the house. On his way, Edmond told him to go and get his horse, and wake Llewyn. He left the house with boots on, and walked passed the stable, to Llewyn's house. The mineral shop. He knocked on the door and Betsy answered. She had an awkward smile on her face when she looked at Valiant.

"Betsy? I've come to get Llewyn so that we can prepare to leave," Valiant said, checking the bottom of his boot.

"Oh. Uh... I'm coming too. Did they not tell you? I've got Llew's bags here. I think he's still in bed."

"Oh. Could I go wake him up? I think Aldrik wants to see him pretty soon," Valiant asked right before Betsy opened the door. 

Valiant wasn't worried about going into Llewyn's room because he knew that even if he was naked, there wouldn't be anything much to see, and he had what he liked to think of as 'anti-attraction' towards him. He'd had a brief crush on Betsy, but that passed.

He opened the door, and, surely enough, Llewyn was completely naked, and Valiant felt absolutely nothing. He walked around the bed in the middle of the room, and tapped him on the shoulder. Nothing but snores. he poked him in the chest. Nothing but snores. He poked him in the side of the gut, and Llewyn jumped to a full sitting position. 

"Wha! Who the hell's there?"

"Llew, calm down. It's just me," Valiant said, stepping back from the bed. 

"Oh. Valiant. What're you doing here? Did you come to fuck me? Because no."

"No, I didn't come to fuck you. I came to get you because we're leaving soon. Get dressed, ugly-ass bitch!"

"Really? It's so- wait. What the fuck did you just call me? Fuck you," Llewyn said, getting out of his bed, and pointing at Valiant, accidentally touching his forehead.

"As I just said, please don't."

"You know what I meant," Llewyn sighed, grabbing some pants from the floor. 

"Yeah, but still. Anyway, hurry up. We need to grab our horses," Valiant said, headed for the door.

"Let me eat something at least. I'm hungry."

Valiant left the room, and bumped into Llewyn's dad. The stout man looked up to Valiant, and asked,

"Valiant? Are you ready to go already? I don't think Llewyn's going to be ready for a while. He's never been quick to prepare. His mother would've told you that," Mr Filli said, sitting on the countertop.

"Yeah. The three of us are ready to leave. Are you sure you're gonna be alright without Betsy and Llewyn around?"

"Yeah. I can buy food. And that old wizard said he'd send down food for me."

"But aren't you gonna be lonely?"

"Not really. You know adults have friends too, right?"

"Yeah. Duh. Has business been treating you well recently?"

"Oh, yes. People are making rings 'round here. There're two weddings happenin' soon. They need stuff to make their rings."

"And Vigil forges them, right? He has no competition nowadays, right?"

"No, he doesn't. Not since your pa left."

"I wonder what he's doing now."

"Yes. We haven't heard from him for... what? Ten years?"

"Eleven, I think. Oh yeah, Duni was, like, one."

"Yeah? You said the three of you were ready? Your brothers going with you?"

"Yeah, Al, and Cassi."

"Cassian... I remember his parents. They were kinda bummers."

"They're still kinda a bummer," Valiant sighed.

"But- oh, I get you."

Betsy walked in, slammed her hand on the counter, and reached under it into the glass cabinet. She pulled out a small ruby, and put it in front of her father's face.

"Can I take this with me? I wanna get it forged into a necklace or something in Amzu," she said.

"Pass it here."

"Is it light enough?"

"Ok. I guess, if I'm not gonna see you for a long time...," Mr Filli grumbled, "At least wear it next time you come to visit."

Llewyn burst out of his room, fully-dressed, cake slice in hand, and smile on face.

"I'm ready!"

"That was faster than I thought it'd be. Betsy, Llewyn, come give your Pa a kiss."

Llewyn and Betsy both embraced their father, tears beginning to fall from their eyes as they said their goodbyes to the man who had raised them. They both gave him kisses as they cried. They eventually calmed down, and Lach Filli - their father - left them with,

"Goodbye, you two. I love you."

Llewyn, Betsy, and Valiant walked to the stables in relative quietness. When they got there, Alphonzo and Cassian were just riding away from the stables.

"Hey! You two!" Valiant shouted from the other end of the stables. Al turned his head, waved, and kept riding. Valiant saw Alphonzo punch Cassian in the arm. He figured that they were arguing over something again.

"Those two are coming too? I guess I won't have to be alone when you two are off learnin' magic," Betsy said, walking into the stall where her horse was. 

"Yeah. I feel like my mum wouldn't've let me come come if Cassian weren't going," Valiant explained, putting the saddle on his horse - Jack. 

"What about Al?" Llewyn asked, putting the reins onto his horse - Cocoa.

"He decided to come along because he wanted to keep competing with Cassi. He didn't say that, but I know that's what he meant."

The three of them got onto their horses, and rode toward the inn. Valiant told Llewyn about everything that Aldrik had already told him about magic. 

"You're not a very good teacher, are you, Val?" Llewyn asked, patting the side of Cocoa's neck. She whinnied in an angry tone at the contact.

"Well thanks, Llew," Valiant sighed. 

"Hey, you remember those guys who came through here years ago? They were wizards," Llewyn asked, moving his hand from the neck to Cocoa's mane.

"The Spring Bucks? Yeah, why?"

"Well they weren't stationed in one spot like Aldrik. Do you think we could do that?"

"What? Be nomads? After we've done our training, sure."

"You wanna travel the countryside?" Betsy asked, not changing her eye line.

"Yeah, and to the capital. I wanna see this country," Llewyn said, fumbling with his reins.

"I don't think there are many troupes out there. And you don't really like to move around do you?" 

"Uhh, there's such a thing as a horse. There's carriages too. I don't need to move around to do that."

Betsy scowled at that. She shook her head.

"Llewyn, when're you gonna start gettin' in shape? You've been promising to for years. Would you just do it already?"

"I will! Now that I'm gonna be training, I'm gonna have to."

"But will you?"

"Yes. Alright? I'll ask that Edmond to train me," Llewyn said, turning to his sister. 

"Really? I'll do it for you, then."

"I don't need you to ask him for me," Llewyn growled.

"Well, you'd better do it."

The three of them arrived at the inn, outside of it was Cassian, Alphonzo, Aldrik, Edmond, and Jeanne all on their horses. Behind Edmond and Jeanne there was a wooden carriage. Cathy was standing at the horses of Al and Cassian. They were looking down to her. Cassian was holding her hand.

"Cathy, thank you so much. Thank you for raising me. Thank you for accepting me."

Llewyn, Valiant and Betsy all rode up. 

"Mum, I love you," Valiant said, settling Jack next to Cassian and Al's horses. She looked up to him and gave him a massive smile. He returned it. 

"I love you, too, Valiant," Cathy said, continuing the smile that she'd given him.

"Where'd you get the carriage?" Llewyn asked, looking over to Edmond.

"Cathy showed us where," Edmond said after a greeting.

"Shall I put my bags in there?"

"If you so wish. We got it so that our horses were not so burdened."

"Thank you. By the way, Edmond, when we get to Amzu, do you think you could train me?"

"Oh? In what way?"

Betsy had a big grin on her face behind Llewyn.

"Well I need to get muscles. I also need to get rid of this gut."

"Oh, yes, Llewyn. I was planning on doing some physical training with the two of you anyway. I hope you two are ready for it. I run a pretty tight ship if I do say so myself."

"Llew, did you actually just do something I asked you to do?" Betsy asked, surprised.

"Yeah. What of it?"

"It's just very rare for you to do that."

Aldrik's voice boomed over everyone else's, "If we wish to make it before night falls, we must leave posthaste."

Cassian, Al, and Valiant were at the front, and began their ride. They were taken over by Aldrik's horse. His white horse bounded forward, too fast. The others trotted behind him, and chatted.

They ended up in the forest, riding along a dirt path in between trees that had been formed by years of travel between Yarrin and the town to the north, Quarrin. Quarrin had no church, so the people had to travel between the pair of towns every week - the faithful ones at least. They were the only people who visited Yarrin regularly. No one who had left returned very much. Occasionally, the town of Ubford would come around to them - they were further north than Quarrin, but further west. Ubford is where the Crown Day celebrations occurred every year. 

Ubford, Yarrin, and Quarrin all celebrated Crown Day together at their beautiful stone ruins. Nobody knew what the ruins were from. Some of the Ubford people theorised that there was a dragon altar there years ago. Or that maybe a summon was kept there. Or maybe that there was a church there once. They really had no idea. 

"We don't have to go to Ubford. There's a directly northern pathway from Quarrin," Valiant informed, looking to the two newbies behind him. He wasn't sure where Aldrik had disappeared to. He couldn't have gone off path. The gnarled bushes would have stopped him. He didn't expect that a man of that age would be such a voracious rider.

"Ubford? Quarrin? The places down here have names?" Edmond asked, stroking his horse's mane as he rode slowly. As they rode, Valiant had dropped some of his bags in the carriage to alleviate Jack of his burdens.

"Yeah. Our town is called Yarrin. Why wouldn't it have a name?" Llewyn asked, scratching his head. Edmond explained that names in Ancusk were typically only given to large cities, and metropolises. He also explained that he had not travelled much in Oclar.

As they kept riding, several birds flew through the canopy that hung over the group of them. Rodents gathered at the hooves of the horses, and ran away from the wheels of the carriage. A small, ginger cat crosses their path at one point, running away at the sight of the horses. They heard a loud, blood curdling scream from further away. It was from Quarrin, Valiant deduced. He'd been before with Kyler. The five unburdened horses galloped ahead. They found a girl trapped underneath a pulsating, purple-magenta-blue creature that was immediately determined as a Tobeast. 

"We'll save you, lady!" Llewyn said, pulling his bow from his back and nocking an arrow. Val copied. Cassian pulled a blade from the side scabbard on his horse. Al pulled his blade, and Betsy found herself weaponless.

"What's a Toballus doing here?" Betsy asked incredulously.

"There's so few of them left nowadays. What're the chances?" Val asked. The boys let go of their arrows. They flew right into its pulsing, blue vein on the outside which splashed black, tar-like fluids from it. 

The woman screamed. She screamed over and over again. 

"Miss, please! Calm down!" Cassian insisted, moving his horse in. His longsword went straight through the boneless neck of the beast. It fell to the floor, and Al ran in on the ground and pulled her out from underneath the body. She was still screaming. The beast had become a steaming mass, burning itself away. 

"T-thank you. It would have eaten me. I owe my life to you."

"No, Miss, it was not that much of a battle," Al said, holding her in close.

"But I would have died. I shall serve you for your heroism. All of you," she said, looking straight into Al's eyes.

"Miss, what is your name? I will deliver you to your home," Alphonzo explained, letting go of her hand. She was still standing close to him. 

"I'm Joane. I live in Ubford. Would you, my brave man?" she asked.

"Brave man? Oh, boy...," Cassian thought to himself. 

"Come, my Lady," Alphonzo said, climbing atop his horse, and moving off of the saddle. He gestured for her to sit on the saddle. 

She climbed up onto the saddle, and held onto Al's shoulders. 

"You're going to the northern path, right? I'll come find you when I've taken her home. Yah!" Al said, his horse bounding away.

"What was that?" Valiant asked, genuinely confused. 

"I have no clue," Cassian sighed. 

"He hardly even did anything. Now he's gonna get laid?" Llewyn asked, dumbfounded.

"Hey, it might not be like that," Betsy cut in.

"Well if he comes back happy, we know what happened," Cassian said, turning his horse around. 

"No need to ask him what happened, ok?" Betsy said looking at her brother.

"Why would I ask him? I already know what it's like."

"Wait a second. What about Tina? You're just leaving her in Yarrin?" Val asked, putting his bow back over his shoulder. 

"Oh, I broke up with her."

Betsy glared at the boy, though he faced the other way, he knew it was there.

"What was that, Llewyn? What did you do to that poor girl?"

"I broke up with her. She didn't want to come with us, and we were growing apart from each other. We broke up. What of it?"

"Did she cry afterwards?""I don't think so. I didn't really stick around."

"Seriously, Llewyn? That's cruel."

"It doesn't sound that bad. I mean he had to pack for today, and he said that it was mutual," Valiant commented.

"If she was stopping him from doing what he wanted to do...," Cassian mumbled.

"You three don't understand. She's probably crying to her friends right now."

She wasn't. She was flirting with another boy, quite happy and not crying.

"I know her. I dated her for three years. We even talked about what we'd do if we broke up," Llewyn said.

"Yeah. She doesn't stay attached," Valiant said.

"She's a girl. I know how girls-," Betsy began.

"Not all girls are the same. Just like boys. Kyler is less emotional than the two of us," Llewyn cut in.

"Yeah, and Tina is less emotional than you," Valiant finished.

"How do-," Betsy began.

"I just told you, Betsy. I dated her for three years. I know because I know," Llewyn interrupted again. 

The four of them found Edmond and Jeanne chatting in short bursts of speech. When they were in earshot, they could hear that they were talking about strategy. They were discussing war tactics, and the ways that they could defend Amzu from attack. 

"A thrusting manoeuvre would leave the gate undefended, though," Edmond reasoned to his sister.

"That is why we station at least fifteen guards at the gate in times of imminent danger. Deploy five of them and ten stay back to guard," Jeanne stated.

"That is not very logistical. There are several gates. We can't use fifteen for each every time we're in danger of attack. How about seven stationed?"

"Then the manoeuvre would not be effective. Only three of the guards would be a part of the thrusting. That would not be effective enough."

The pair went on like this for a while, even after the four that had gone ahead rejoined them. They took a small break in their discussion to ask where Alphonzo was, right after which, they continued it. Valiant and Llewyn chatted with Cassian about Yarrin, while Betsy listened intently to Jeanne and Edmond, adding her own comments every so often.

After riding for a while longer, the six of them found themselves at the start of Quarrin. Aldrik's horse trotted towards them with a... twenty-something man atop it and women gathered 'round.

"What the fuck?" Cassian sighed, looking at all of the women around Aldrik's horse. He thought to himself, "I can't even gather that much of an entourage, and I'm actually young and handsome..."

"We don't get many new faces 'round here, Mister! What's yer name?" one of the women asked, looking at the man atop the horse.

"Aldrik. What of yours, maiden?"

"Oh! Those are some fine men over there, too!" another of the women exclaimed. A few of the women ran over to surround Cassian and Edmond.

"Are you two married?" one of the women asked, referring to Jeanne and Edmond.

"No, no. That is my sister. I must apologise, though. I am... not inclined towards women," Edmond said, brushing at the hand presented. 

"Hey, hey, you! What're ya doin' hangin' out with a bunch of kids?" one of the women at Cassian asked. 

"This is Valiant. We were raised in the same house. Now, m'lady, what are you doing without a man to speak for you?" Cassian asked. He was trying to play it smooth, but he loved the attention he was getting. Edmond looked over to him smiling at the ladies, and decided that he would copy his actions so as to not hurt anyone's feelings. He just hoped that the women would understand the sentiment in his statement. 

"Hey, girls. How's it going?" Llewyn asked, leaning down to some of the small kids who was probably with the ladies. 

"Haha! You're fat! Mama doesn't wanna have a brother with you!" one of the little girls exclaimed, pointing and laughing. The other kids joined in with their guffawing.

"Now that isn't very nice," Valiant said, looking down to the girl who started it. He continued, "If your ma knew a little about Llewyn, she might consider it."

The girl looked at Valiant and fell back. She saw his eyes, and the way his arms bulged only slightly and fell on one of her friends. Llewyn scowled at him.

"Cyna, you get here, wicked girl!" one of the women exclaimed from over a Aldrik.

The kids laughed at Cyna as she walked with her head slumped, and hands to her chest, to her mother. They told Valiant that nobody really liked Cyna because she pointed out everything they didn't like about themselves. Valiant asked them if any of them had ever been to Yarrin. Only a few of them said yes, and Valiant sure did recognise them. They were the ones that were the loudest during communal singing at the church, and they sure cried the loudest when they got smacked for misbehaving. 

"Hey, you! Boy!" one of the boys in the crowd exclaimed, "Come down and fight me! That's my girlfriend over there! You made her feel bad about herself!"

"Your _girlfriend?_ " one of the little boys asked, bumping into him. 

"Yeah! She's my girlfriend! What about it?"

"Sige's got a girlfriend!" one of the boys began chanting, which lead to a round of everyone else joining in.

"Yeah? Do you? Didn't think so. That just means he has someone he cares about. What's wrong with that?" Llewyn asked.

"Shut up, Fatty! I can fight my own fights!" Sige shouted, punching the boy who had started the round. He shouted again, "Now come down and fight me!"

"I'm not gonna fight you. Your girlfriend was acting cruelly to my friend, and she deserved to be reprimanded. Llewyn has been bullied for his size enough," Valiant said, looking to Sige.

"What's goin' on over there? Who's Sige?" Cassian asked, craning his neck over to the boys.

"This kid. He wants to fight me because I told his girlfriend that bullying was bad."

"Any of you have a kid named Sige? Please do teach them not to bully people. This boy here, Llewyn, was bullied through his childhood and I'm sure he doesn't appreciate it coming from anybody."

"Sige! Get over here. You kids leave those boys alone!" one of the women in the crowd demanded.

"By the way, ladies, we shall not be staying very long as we have quite a journey ahead of us. I will also not bed you, anyway. I am only seventeen years old," Cassian explained. 

"Marry my daughter? She can't find 'erself a husband!"

"I apologise, but I'll not be marrying anybody today."

"We are only coming through," Edmond explained, waving to the women. Betsy looked at the women, and found that they were mostly quite beautiful, but they all seemed as though they were single. At least, their husbands would be mad if they knew about this.

Aldrik was taking in joy from all of the attention he was getting from the women, and he lost control for a few seconds, and his real face was revealed. The women squealed, and walked away. Aldrik heard from the distance, 

"Creep."

His heart sank. Sure, his magic was a sign of skill, dedication, nobility, yet it solicited these reactions. His face was not that bad, was it?

"Oi! You dare? He's a wizard! You should show some respect!" a woman to the side with a more aged look exclaimed. The women looked at the lady and sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to finish the last scene at somewhere appropriate, and decided that was where I should.


	5. The field

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is still travelling on their way to Amzu when they have an encounter which leads to quite a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another longer one. I've been trying to keep it around 4000 words/chapter, but keep finding it impossible to stop a scene there. Also, continuing from where we left off.

"Thank you, Miss," Aldrik said, his face going back to its normal form.

"Think nothing of it. You are a wizard. Those women do not realise the power that you possess. I raised many of them. They do not understand respect yet they expect their children to show respect. They are ridiculous."

"You raised them? How old are you? You do not look that old," Aldrik commented, trotting his horse towards the woman whose face was covered in deep wrinkles. She curtsied to him. 

"My lord, I understand that you are trying to be nice, but I am nearing death's door. I am the Saba of this town," the woman explained.

"Saba... it's a long time since I've heard that word."

"You have heard it? I was not sure if nobles would have heard the word."

"My mother was the Saba at my town once. She lived to be quite old."

"Magus, you are from a town like this one?"

"Yes. I did, however, expand it to be a castle city. I make sure to maintain town traditions. We still celebrate Oath Festival."

"My...," the woman said, "You are _very_ deserving of respect. Especially in this town. Especially to those women. The Oath Festival is the event of their years."

"Really? The Festival is not exactly a big thing in my town. We do a celebration, but not many people work on it. We have a small committee work on the decorations and I deliver a speech."

"That is still more than other cities have."

"Yes, during my training, I stayed in another city where they held few celebrations that I was used to. I felt that maintaining tradition in the town would let them accept me more. Also it was for me."

"Apologies, but I must be off. I have some babies to sit."

"You still do that?"

"Of course. I have to do something with my time."

Aldrik said his goodbye to the woman and approached the travelling party.

"Sorry 'bout that, man. I'm sure it feels bad," Llewyn sighed. Edmond placed his hand on Aldrik's shoulder, and nodded to him. The women around Cassian and Edmond had left with the crowd.

"You went ahead so you could do that? I assumed that you must be married," Cassian said.

"I was. My wife passed a little while ago."

"Oh- I'm... sorry," Cassian mumbled, looking down to the ground. 

"No need. Now, let us be off!"

The group began to advance when Aldrik observed that Alphonzo was not among them. He asked why and where he was, and cheered for Al's luck. He didn't seem too let down. Or he wasn't letting it show. 

"Good for him! Hoorah!" Aldrik cheered after hearing about his probable lay. Cassian and Valiant gave him a side eye, and he didn't respond. The two of them knew that Al would be super awkward right about now. He'd either be on his horse with a boner, or fumbling while having sex. 

They arrived at the part of the path that lead into the forest when they heard the shuffling of feet. The women who had dismissed Aldrik - a fraction of them - were standing behind the group dressed in a yellow uniform, their hands clasped. They each bowed individually, leaving an apology.

"I am sorry, Great Magus."

"Apologies, Great Magus."

"I should have payed you more respect, Great Magus," they all said, bowing to the backside of the horses. 

"Ladies, ladies. There really is no need. I was being creepy. I should not have used my gift for such selfish purposes. I also should not have broken the spell. It is I who should be apologising," Aldrik said, looking to the beautiful women in their yellow headdresses and flowing, floral, yellow dresses.

"Yeah... he really was being a creep," Valiant thought to himself, admiring the looks of the women. He was looking at the women when he saw a small girl walk up to the front of the crowd. She was wearing the same uniform as the woman, but it was much smaller. and it still dragged on the floor. 

"I... I'm sorry, Mr," the girl said, bowing and looking up. It was Cyna. She looked at Llewyn in the eyes. She did struggle to see them since he was so high up.

"Huh? Sorry for what?"

"...For calling you a fatty."

"It's not your fault."

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't. It's not your fault that that is how you are raised," Llewyn explained, leaning down to the side. 

"Your boyfriend tried to fight me, y'know?" Valiant asked, looking back to the girl.

"Boyfriend? Sige...," she mumbled, looking down to the ground again.

"What's up with that?" Llewyn whispered to Valiant.

"Dunno."

"Anyway, I said sorry, now I'm going!"

Cyna ran away, and left the group. After all of the women had said their apologies, they disbanded, and the old woman walked up to them.

"I did not expect that from them. That's not like them," the old woman croaked. 

"Excuse me, Miss, could I get your name?" Aldrik asked.

"Oh, I am Marger."

"Thank you, Marger," Aldrik said, waving as he rode into the passage between the trees. They rode between a line of prickly bushes and thick, thick forest that would have been impregnable. 

As they rode, Valiant remembered back to when Kyler had explained to him and Llewyn that to the north of Quarrin lay a vast field that was very difficult to cross, which was why few ever approached the two southern towns of the line. If someone wished to come to Quarrin or Yarrin without a fight, they would need to take the path to Ubford, and then go down.

"We'll be comin' up on that field soon, right, Val?" Llewyn asked, leaning on Cocoa's neck.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about that. Maybe we should arm ourselves," Valiant answered, looking to his sword.

"Hmm? You're worried about a field?" Edmond asked.

"Yeah. A friend told us that there is a monster encampment there."

"We didn't have any trouble," Jeanne stated, scratching her head. 

The group continued to ride. Llewyn had one hand on his bow. Cassian had his hand on one of his swords. Valiant had an arrow stuck between his belt and his denim pants. Edmond and Jeanne were just sitting as they normally would, and Aldrik had a scroll balanced on top of his horse's head, just in case there was any need for it. 

Cassian's horse at the head of the group stepped out of the shadow of the forest and into the bright light of the forest. He was followed by Valiant and Llewyn, then Aldrik. Then Jeanne and Edmond followed behind them all. 

The group surveyed the land. There were trees scattered about, and patches of flowers. They could see the Scarstone Mountain in the distance. The dark patch of stone that was its namesake stretched along the side of the massive protrusion of rock from the ground. Valiant rode on ahead slightly, and looked over to the edge of the forest to the east.

"This book says that the field was created when a dragon, broken from the whim of the Great Dragon burned a huge patch out of the Llene Forest. I read that the monsters were attracted to the field because of lingering magic energy that they could feed off of," Valiant remembered Kyler saying to Llewyn and him. 

"Aldrik, you might want to look out with that scroll-," Valiant began before a fireball flew from the top of his horse's head. The scroll burned up, leaving ashes atop the head of the horse.

"You predicted that? I suppose your connection to magic is quite strong," Aldrik said.

"No, this place has a whole heap of magic energy. That's why the monsters live around here."

"Oh, that makes sense." 

As Valiant and Llewyn rode ahead, closely followed behind by Cassian when they saw lights blurring in the forest ahead of them. From the dark, grey dots appeared, growing in size slowly. It was a group of Runa Felises. They were prowling towards the group. 

"There they are," Llewyn exclaimed, pointing to the grey dots in the distance.

"They are very far away. And they aren't very fast. Are they really dangerous?" Jeanne asked, looking to the group of dots.

"That doesn't matter. Any second, they are going to set off spells. Those are Runa Felise, they are highly tuned to magic," Aldrik explained. As he finished talking, Aldrik ran his horse to the left.

A bolt of electricity crackled passed him. 

"Well then," Edmond grunted, pulling out a sword from his waist. 

"I suppose so, brother," Jeanne said, grabbing a sword from her waist. 

Llewyn and Valiant already had their arrows ready and aimed towards the grey dots. Jeanne and Edmond turned around and unclipped the cart from their horses. The siblings ran their horses forward, followed by Cassian. Betsy grabbed a sword from the cart, and ran after them all.

Llewyn let fly an arrow and it hit. He saw the dot stop moving. Val patted Llewyn on the back, and he saw something rising from the grass. It was a fire. Aldrik took his hands into a ball and whispered something over and over again. Water gathered between his palms and he pulled them apart. The water formed into a floating puddle. The fire was growing, and the forward group had slowed and retreated from the fire. 

Aldrik formed his hands so that the water sprayed out in a jet. The water and flame met to form steam. The flame retreated, and the water kept spraying. Eventually the flame was gone. Aldrik looked over to the boys. 

"I bet you two can't wait to do that," Aldrik joked, beginning a new chant. Nothing observable began happening yet. 

Cassian, Edmond, Betsy, and Jeanne all ran their horses towards the prowling cats. As they approached, they noticed the grass moving unnaturally. It was writhing and stiffening at changing intervals. They retreated. 

Aldrik's horse ran forth. The boys followed. Aldrik pointed his arms out and his chanting stopped. A section of the grass that the Runa Felise stood on jabbed from the ground, impaling some of them. Some of the cats had leaped into the air, and landed on the sides of the, now bloodied, grass blades. They hissed.

"How're we meant to get to them up there?" Cassian asked. He turned around and found Jeanne and Betsy already stood atop their horses' saddles and Edmond about to do the same. Valiant and Llewyn had another arrow nocked each. They couldn't aim because cats were leaping between spikes. Aldrik seemed to be preparing another spell. 

Betsy, and Jeanne both dismounted their horses, and jumped into the sea of pointed grass blades. Ed looked over to Cassian and gave a thin smirk.

"Come on. What's taking so long?" he asked, standing on his saddle.

Cassian returned the smirk and stood up. Edmond chuckled and jumped after the girls. Cassian followed after him with two swords in hand. The four of them jumped like the cats, and just hoped that they would not unleash a spell behind them. After a couple of leaps, Jeanne found herself at one of the cats.

Shling! Her sword pierced the hide of the large cat. It hissed and screamed, and spurted blood. Betsy leaped passed, and lunged her blade so that it slit the side of the cat's belly. She got the blood all over herself, and she fell over.

One of the cats turned to her, and before it could swing down its crackling claws, an arrow hit it in the back. It crumpled before her. Her face was covered in blood, and she was surrounded by the corpses of animals.

"I- what am I doing?" she thought to herself, "I thought I wasn't this kind of person..."

And she wasn't. She'd never been on so much as one hunt before.

"Are you alright?" Jeanne asked, stepping in front of Betsy. She looked up to Jeanne and thought to herself,

"Maybe I want to be that kind of person. Look at her."

Betsy was in Jeanne's shadow, and she could see her shining in the light. She marvelled at the look of the brave woman.

"Hello? Are you alright?" 

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Edmond leaped around the two women and lunged forward, followed clumsily by Cassian. He had his hands full and couldn't balance. 

"Do you require assistance?"

"Oh, uh, yes please," Betsy said, reaching her hand up. Jeanne took a hold of her hand and pulled Betsy up. Jeanne jumped away.

"You keeping up?" Edmond asked, glancing back to Cassian. The boy chuckled as he jumped to the blade of grass next to Ed.

"Yeah. But are you?" At that moment, Edmond leaped four blades and stuck his sword into the back of the Runa. It fell and Edmond continued. Cassian followed after him, chasing again. Cassian upped his speed and found himself on equal footing with Ed again, and a cat appeared right in his face. He reflexively swung upwards and hit it in its underbelly. It disappeared and reappeared again, in front of Jeanne. She swung down on it, and it disappeared once more. It appeared in front of Edmond, and he stabbed it down its throat. it coughed up blood before falling to the ground.

"Ew!" 

The others disappeared once more, and didn't reappear. 

"They left. Guess they got scared," Cassian stated, wiping his brow.

"Oh dear! All of you get over here!" Aldrik demanded, looking at their faces. 

They all made their ways to the end of the patch of grass. While they had made their ways to the end, Valiant and Llewyn rode to the cart and grabbed some buckets that were in there. Aldrik filled them up with water. 

"You two, clean each other up. You two do the same," Aldrik commanded, handing the four a bucket each. 

"Come on, Cassian," Edmond said, waving as he walked towards the eastern forest line. Cassian followed, a little excited. 

"I'll see it again...," Cassian thought to himself. His eyes widened as he realised that Ed would see his.

"This is going to be difficult," Edmond thought to himself, "He said he was seventeen right? I can't fuck that."

"I might fuck that!" was the thought going through Cassian's head, "He said he didn't like women, right?"

"Come," Jeanne commanded, walking on a different angle but still in the same direction as her brother.

"Uhh, I... don't know about this," Betsy thought to herself, walking after Jeanne. She was nervous. Unreasonably so. As the pair of girls walked, there was a ubiquitous silence between them. Betsy wanted to speak, but found no words to give. Jeanne did not wish to speak, but found it strange that Betsy was not speaking up. Normally people would try to spark a conversation with her, and they'd fail miserably. She'd give the most simple answers unless it required more input, for example, with more strategical and tactical conversations.

With the boys, Val and Llewyn were whispering among themselves. They were talking about Cassian, and how he was probably about to be let down. They were talking about how the battle went and how the group looked after the fight.

Aldrik was checking all of his scrolls, making sure they wouldn't go off like the fireball one that had.

"So, boys, do you know why all of this magic is in this field?" Aldrik asked, looking to the boys who were giggling amongst themselves.

"Oh, Kyler told us about this field. Back in the day, a dragon burned it up. It left behind a whole heap of magic energy," Val answered, turning his head from Llewyn.

"Who might Kyler be?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Kyler is a friend. He's super smart and-," Valiant began.

"A total tight-ass," Llewyn finished.

"I... was going to say stoic."

"Well it's true. He's totally stuck up. We're his only friends because he refused to make friends with the 'rabble' who 'don't deserve him'."

"You are his only friends? Oh dear. I left that boy without his friends, I'm sure he's feeling said now."

In Yarrin, Kyler was sitting under his usual tree, reading his favourite book - the one that he started reading after he became friends with Valiant and Llewyn - and reminiscing over his close friends and everything he'd done with them. He thought of when Llewyn came to them one day and announced proudly,

"I got a girlfriend!"

They were only twelve, and then his mind moved on to the year later when he announced proudly once more,

"I had sex!"

He remembered how confused and conflicted he felt about this knowledge. Kyler thought about how he felt about the fact that this was a secret that he shouldn't tell anyone, and it made him feel weird, even though he wouldn't. His mind moved back to the time that a group of soldiers from the south came through town and how that changed his life. He remembered 'Mr Fancypants' as Llewyn had called him - the general of the group. 

He remembered the stoic silence that he'd given his men. He only gave orders to move through the town and halt as he got rooms for all of them at Cathy's inn. He remembered when he went up and asked, 

"Why do you listen to him?" to one of the soldiers.

He remembered the answer down to the letter.

"The man's quiet. We don't know anything about him. The mystery makes him more respectable, little buddy. Also... he has a lot of stories about him in our city."

His mind zipped forward to two weeks ago. When Valiant had come to him crying. He remembered the raw emotion on Val's face. He remembered all of the fun that they'd had throughout the days. He thought of their first hunt. He thought of their first day of training when Valiant had cut Llewyn by accident, and they'd had a fight. He had to fix it. It took him his all to do it. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Kyler heard from a girl.

"H-huh?" 

"You're crying," the girl said, rushing to him.

"What? What are you... talking about?"

"You're crying," she insisted.

"No...," Kyler mumbled, feeling his cheek. Sure as hell, it was coated in water.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah... I was just thinking about Llewyn and Valiant."

"Huh? Why?"

"They just... left."

"What do you mean? Val and Llewyn left town?"

"Yeah. They're going to be wizards."

"Really? Anyway, you. Are you alright? You wanna hug?"

"Huh? No!"

"O...k. Bye, then."

She ran off, leaving the boy alone with his tears and his book. He sat there unable to control his tears. They wouldn't stop coming.

Edmond, and Cassian were in the forest, buckets in hand, and ready to get washed. Edmond was fighting himself on the inside. Cassian's inside was fighting against his outside. He was excited, and wanted to let it out. He wanted to smile and giggle, but knew that that would be strange. 

"So... uh, take off your shirt. I'll get your back," Edmond said, grabbing a rag from his bucket. Cassian obliged, and his heart began racing faster. He turned around and felt the fabric touch his back. It started scrubbing away at his back, finding spots of blood. Edmond asked, "You can do your front?"

"Yeah...," Cassian mumbled, looking at the ground.

"Good. I'm gonna do your hair."

Edmond moved to Cassian's hair, rubbing it with a rapid speed of back and forth. When he was done, Cassian turned around, and Edmond chuckled slightly. 

"What?"

"Your hair!"

"What?"

Cassian's brown hair was pointing in every which way, frizzy, and knotted. He looked unconcerned by the way his hair looked. Ed's face fell with the lack of reaction.

"Come on. What's wrong? Can't laugh at yourself? You saw my _dick_ and I laughed about it!"

"Is it really that funny? That's how it normally goes for you too, right?"

"I guess it's not. Anyway, do my back for me now, please."

Cassian saw Edmond turn around and saw the strong, broad back of the man in front of him. He saw red splotches on the skin. He took his rag and started to rub it against Edmond's back. He laid his hand on the side of Edmond's chest, and felt a rising heartbeat in his own. He played it off like he was using him for support, but he was feeling the bulging muscles of Edmond's back, wishing that he could move his hand to his pec. He wished he could feel him all over. He had a stiffy, and really wished that he didn't. He knew that he was going to have to fully disrobe soon, and Edmond might see it. And even if he didn't need to disrobe, he found that his dick wasn't restrained by clothes when it was hard, so Ed would see it either way. He wished he could control it and it wouldn't be so easily hardened. He wished he wasn't such a horny boy.

"So, you're seventeen, right? When's your birthday? I'd love to go out for some drinks with you some day," Ed said, Cassian still rubbing his back. 

"Oh, in a few months. I'm sure we could go for a drink."

"A few months, as in...?"

"May. May fifteenth."

"One of my sisters has the same birthday."

"One of? How many do you have?"

Cassian had slowly closed the gap between the two of them. They were close, Cassian's dick could touch Edmond if he got bumped. He could feel the warmth of Edmond's body. 

"Oh, I have no clue how many at this point. My... father has sex with lots of women. I mean **lots**."

"Oh gee. That doesn't sound like a nice father. I remember my dad. He was nice, and loyal, and he'd go see Garson all the time. Because he was a big hunter. He hunted with his friend, and they got food for the grocery store back in Yarrin."

"You had a good upbringing."

"Did you forget? My family's not around," Cassian informed, taking his rag to Edmond's black hair. He began to rub it left and right, back and forth. The blood flowed down his back in a dilute form.

"Oh, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to them?"

Cassian's boner went down considerably. Talking about this was making him sad, and he mumbled a request not to. Edmond heard, and went into a similar silence to the one that was present when Cassian had washed Ed. 

"I trust that you can wash your... lower half," Edmond said after Cassian finished.

"Yeah, of course. I'm sure you don't want to see _my_ dick," Cassian said, while Ed thought the exact opposite. He was fighting against himself, and he hated it. 

"Well, of course not," Edmond lied, continuing, "Listen, I need to piss. I'll be back in a minute."

Ed walked off, deeper into the woods, and Cassian walked over to a tree. He unbuckled his belt, and stripped out of them. His ass was on full display to the world. He got a kick out of that. He got a smaller, similar kick when they went to the river. The idea that anyone might... like it. It turned him on a little later. And a little there. 

While Ed was walking, he was thinking of Cassian. What he looked like at this moment. How much he wanted to walk back, grab Cassian's ass, and fool around with him. He thought of the reaction Cassian had to seeing his dick, and got kind of embarrassed. He wasn't sure what kind of person Cassian was attracted to, but he was getting a bit of a vibe. He realised that he'd accidentally been sending out messages when he didn't mean to. He whipped out his member, and pissed until he was emptied.

Upon arriving back, Ed saw Cassian wiping his ass down. He turned his head from the jiggling cheeks that were dripping with dilute blood. They went about washing their front and backsides as well as their legs.

Betsy and Jeanne stood in the woods, their tops off. They both wore flimsy braziers to support their breasts. Betsy still wore her skirt and Jeanne still wore her pants. 

"Turn around, please," Jeanne said, wetting her flannel and approaching Betsy. Betsy did as she was told, and as she did, she took out her piggy tails. Her hair fell to her mid back. Jeanne asked, "Could you move your hair?"

Betsy grabbed her hair out of the way, and Jeanne started to rub. Betsy felt nervous, and uncomfortable. She shifted and squirmed as the cloth rubbed against her skin. She could feel the strong hands pushing gently behind the cloth, and couldn't help squirming. It was tickling her. She giggled.

"Sorry. Should I not clean there?"

"No, no. It's fine."

"Then why do you keep squirming?"

"I'm just... a little uncomfortable," Betsy said, her hands playing with each other. 

"Why? We are both girls. All of the young girls that I know grew up cleaning each other."

"Well... I'm... not like other girls. I did grow up cleaning other girls's backs, but... something changed. Anyway, you hang out with young girls?"

"I would not say 'hang out'. It is more like there are some in the castle. They... look up to me."

"Oh. I hope that I can be like that too."

"I'm sure you could. Looking at all of this toning, you are very strong. That is the kind of thing they look up to. Also, you are quite beautiful."

Betsy jolted, and covered her face. This was the reaction she had whenever she got a compliment. Her father, her friends, her past boyfriends. Every time they gave her the slightest compliment, she would jolt and hold her face in her hands.

"What is the change that occurred?"

"I... realised that... women are amazing. Your brother's into guys, right?"

"Yes. Yes he is."

"Well I'm like... what's the word? The inverse thing. I like girls."

"Oh. Well I am totally ok with that. Just know that I am taken."

"Yeah. I noticed the ring. It is very beautiful."

"Thank you!"

"Wow, that was a bigger reaction than I expected."

"Well I chose the ring. And I am very proud of my marriage."

"I'm sure you are. Anyway, I suppose that I should wash your back."

"Yes. I suppose so."

Jeanne turned around, and Betsy looked at the back of the woman with her. She looked with shock as she saw the numerous dark gashes along the length of her back. It was scary. Sure, she'd seen scars before, but not ones this big or numerous on one person.

"T-that's... terrible!"

"What those? They do not hurt."

"How... did you get them?" 

"My parents. They are terrible people. Actually, I do not know if either of them is alive right now."

"Well if they did this to you, I get why you wouldn't want to know.""Thank you for understanding. Not all of those are from my parents though. The larger one is from a fight I had in the arena in the capital. They do not use that anymore, thank the Grand Dragon. Actually, thank the king."

"You fought in the arena? And survived? I hear only the most skilled were allowed in there!"

"Well that is I."

Betsy began to wash her back and felt the incredible amount of muscle mass in it. Jeanne was holding her hair up so that Betsy could scrub her upper back without it getting in the way. Betsy saw the bulging biceps holding up her hair. Even just holding something as light as hair, they were so large. She saw Jeanne chuck her a questioning glance. She realised that she had stopped and resumed to wash away the blood from Jeanne's back.

Valiant and Llewyn were sitting with Aldrik, chatting about the magic that Aldrik had used during the hunt. He explained to them that it was a mixture of Hier and Acer energy. Hier to control the grass, and Acer to harden it. There was also a little Groys to control the size. While conversing, Valiant voiced his concern for Alphonzo, who had not yet returned. They dismissed it as,

"He's just helping her along," but Valiant wasn't sure.

The four who had gone to clean themselves came back fully dressed, and climbed back onto their horses. Jeanne and Edmond clipped the cart onto the backs of their horses again and the group set off into the forest to the north once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betsy is a pretty cool character to write, same with Jeanne (she's more difficult though). More travelling for the next few chapters. Also, just so you know, Saba is the oldest lady in a town, Sabo is the oldest man in a town.


	6. Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group continues to ride and comes across a town on their way toward Amzu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy late holidays. This chapter was waiting for a long time. Not sure why I took so long to upload.

One boy- no. One man rode along a path atop his majestic horse, looking into the distance. He'd just had the best five minutes of his life so far. He was very happy. He had a grin pasted onto his face that he did not even know was there. He was riding between two towns - Ubford and Quarrin. 

He rode into the town, and saw several women walking around in the traditional forgiveness uniform. He thought about why they might be wearing the uniform and remembered the fact that his party would be travelling through there, and thought that they may have gotten up to some shenanigans. As he was riding, one of the women looked at him and commented on his hair. He thanked her, and arrived at the path out of the town of Quarrin.

As he left, the man looked at the wheel tracks from the cart his party was dragging with them. Along the dirt road he rode until he came upon a field. A sunny field with flowers and hills and trees in the middle and surrounding it. As he rode, he saw something odd. The grass had been turned into blades and cats were impaled through the gut, and a few dead on those blades. 

He passed the pikes of grass that dripped with blood, and re-entered the forest. His horse's hooves pressed against the dirt, and he looked through a hole in the canopy, seeing Scarstone Mountain in the distance. As he rode, he adjusted himself due to a rising discomfort. He had been thinking about those magical five minutes and his member had stiffened. He decided to ignore it, and made his horse go faster. Focusing on riding to his travelling group made it soften. 

The man rode and rode until he found himself near the foot of Scarstone. He could hear something. Someone. It was a boy. It was a familiar-sounding boy. He realised that it was his brother!

"Yah!" he commanded, lashing at the reins of his horse. It galloped as though it were in a race, and the man found himself facing his travelling crew. His younger brother, Valiant; his adoptive brother, Cassian; the old wizard, Aldrik; the weird lady, Jeanne; the strong man, Edmond; the fat boy from town, Llewyn; and the strange girl from town, Betsy. He shouted to them, "Hey, guys!"

Valiant turned his head before the others, and shouted for him.

"Al!" he shouted, waving to the man - Alphonzo.

"Val!"

"Oh, you're back already?" Cassian asked, looking back at Al. He saw the plastered on grin and snickered to himself.

"Yeah. What'd you expect? Why would I be gone longer?"

"Oh, I dunno. That poor girl...," Llewyn mumbled to himself. 

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing!"

"Shall we continue on?" Jeanne asked in her typical monotone voice.

"Yeah, let's!" Betsy exclaimed, "Yah."

The group continued on, riding their horses between the thick brambles of the forest, and the various escarpments of Scarstone Mountain. They saw the little Piepo sticking their heads out of the sides of the cliffs from their complex series of tunnels, and if they squinted hard enough, they could see the giant mountain goats that inhabited the southeast. From the forest brambles they could hear the rushing of water and croaking of frogs. Musazon stepped in between the thorns of the brambles, looking at the horses and watching from their home. 

One of the Musazon jumped onto Cassian's horse and up to his hand. Cassi put it up to his face, ready for it to nuzzle him, but didn't realise it had a thorn-like horn on its nose. It pricked him and he started to bleed from his cheek. The little, red-pink-furred rodent jumped from his hand and back to its bush home. He brushed the blood from his cheek a few times as it bled. 

"So was it you guys who killed those cats in the field?" Al asked, riding behind Jeanne and Edmond.

"Yeah. It was," Valiant answered.

"Do you need a cloth, Cassian?" Ed asked, looking over to him, at the front of the group, next to Valiant.

As they rode, the sun just finished dawning over Scarstone Mountain from the foot when a flock of birds waddled in front of them. They were mainly white with black bellies, and orange beaks. They clearly had the ability to fly, but were not. They saw the horses and sped up, eventually finding a break in the cliff to walk up, and get out of their way. Aldrik told the group that they were Cilauk, birds that only flew when their lives were in imminent danger. They could swim, and they were related to the penguins of the coastal west of Oclar, but did not live in the right area to make use of it. He explained that their white colouring was to keep them cool in the warmer east, and their black bellies helped them blend in to the shadows if they lay on their backs. 

The group found their own part of the mountain that they would be able to climb and observe from, so Betsy took her horse up to a cliff edge and looked out over the trees and saw a large lake on the other side of the brambles, and a clump of buildings at one point on the edge. She looked to the end of the forest and saw a river cut across a field. She knew that that would be a problem, but noticed a bridge over it. She saw, over the bridge, another town. The forest was barely present there. She went back down and reported back.

"Yeah, we know the way back. Didn't know about the lake though," Ed said, looking to Betsy who had joined Alphonzo behind them.

They kept riding on and on, exited the forest, and found a ruined archway in the side of Scarstone. Al asked if he could go in and explore, Cassian insisted that he come along. They entered on foot. 

"You scared?" Cassian asked, the dark enveloping him. Al looked over to what he guessed was Cassian, and gave a blank look. He knew that he couldn't see it, so he said,

"No. Duh! I'm the one who asked to come in here!"

At that moment, what seemed like hundreds of bats swarmed around them, squeaking and flapping their leathery wings. They waved and floundered about until the bats flew away. They continued in, feeling along the walls. As Cassian felt the wall, he felt indentations that seemed to make a picture, and then his finger found itself in a Piepo hole. He quickly pulled it out, and moved it against the wall again. 

The cavern had a strange silence to it. There was a slight scraping sound coming from within the walls that was the Piepo digging away at the stone with their metallic claws, but that was about it. 

"You scared?" Al asked, his finger trailing the wall.

"Nope. What do you think ruined that archway? I'm pretty sure this was a temple or something."

"How the hell would I know? I'm not some smarty pants!"

"Keep it down would you?"

"Ugh, why? All the bats're gone!"

"You don't know that for sure. And the cave could collapse."

"What're you talkin' about?"

As they walked, they picked up a terrible stench. Al commented that it smelt like death. 

"We can't even see. Why don't we just leave?" Cassian asked, turning around.

"I don't wanna! Shut up!"

"What? C'mon!"

"No!" 

Cassian grabbed Al's hand and pulled. Al tried to resist, but Cassian's superior strength pulled him anyway. They walked out of the cave with Al complaining the whole way back.

"Let go of me! You go on without me!" he whined, stumbling behind Cassian. He was pulled out into the light. He shielded his eyes with his arm, and returned to his horse. They rode forth with a high speed.

"So, Aldrik, any clue on what might have been there?" Ed asked.

"Well it was in the side of a mountain. That brings a few things to mind. You know those small men that we trade with every now and then?"

"Oh, the dwarves? You think some of them lived there?"

"D-dwarves? What are you talking about?" Valiant asked, turning his head.

"Oh, they are these... little people. They are short and wide. They live in secret in the mountains of our area. They come down and trade their ores with us sometimes," Ed answered, craning his neck to see Val.

"We've never heard about them. And Kyler used to read all of these books about the world and everything. He woulda told us 'bout little men!" Llewyn interjected.

"As he said, they live in secret. They do not come down from the mountains very often," Jeanne explained.

"It's one world, why would they do that?" Llewyn asked, "What's wrong with us people?"

"Llewyn, you know what? That is actually a good question. I think I may request to study their culture next chance I get," Aldrik said. 

"Yeah. They're a tad weird, though. They came into town once and the five that did drank out a tavern each. And they were hardly tipsy," Ed explained.

"That's... a lotta alcohol," Val commented, slapping away a fly on his neck.

"Wait, that's why we had to go months without ale? Damn them!" Aldrik growled, slapping the air in anger. 

"Weren't you just talking about getting to know their culture?" Val asked, surprised by the sudden change in attitude. 

"I still can! And hey, if they can drink that much, then that means they have that much at their casual disposal, right?"

"I suppose so."

The group kept riding through the field, and Cassian and Al caught up again. They were arguing like normal.

"You're so fucking annoying," Al exclaimed, "Why the hell did you have to pull me out of there?"

"We are travelling and there's no need to get behind the rest of the group," Cassian explained. 

"Yeah, no reason other than I was having fun!"

"What was fun about that? You couldn't see and there was just scratching sounds. That cave could have collapsed any second. Especially with the way you were shouting."

"Ok, ok, could you two shut up?" Val asked, "This is getting really annoying!"

The boys at the back shut up but kept shooting each other dart-like glares. They were both unreasonably angry with each other. 

The rode until they found themselves at the river. They found themselves at the bridge.

"This is not wide enough. How are we supposed to get this cart across?" Edmond asked, patting his horse in the back.

"I think you forget your company too oft, Edmond, my brother," Jeanne sighed, looking to Aldrik who had clearly already started a chant to float the cart or something similar. 

"Well, I am sorry for not relying on magic."

The cart began to float above the ground and higher than the rope railing of the wooden bridge. Jeanne and Edmond crossed first, the floating cart trailing behind them. The bridge bent under the weight of two horses and two people. It was flimsy, but did not snap due to the support of the rope tied in triangular sections between the wood and the rope railing. As their horses stepped onto the land, they each breathed a sigh of relief. The bridge came back into its original shape, and the group decided one-by-one to be the best choice. First, Valiant crossed; then Al crossed; then third, it was Aldrik; Betsy crossed after him; then Llewyn. As Llewyn crossed, Val thought to himself that the bridge might collapse, and he panicked for a few seconds until after he passed the centre-point of the bridge, and it wasn't a very dangerous river anyway. Not so deep a horse could not cross it if there were a bay, and not strong enough that anyone would be swept away in it, least of all Llewyn. 

"That village over there is where we spent our night on the way here," Aldrik explained, looking to the sun, not even three eighths of the way up yet. Valiant looked back over the river.

"Y'know... I've never been this far from home before," he pondered out loud. 

"Me neither," Llewyn commented.

"I have," Betsy commented, "I don't remember it though."

"That's strange," Edmond added.

"I was a baby. Dad told me about over and over again," Betsy explained, leaning on her horse's neck.

"Oh. That story...," Llewyn mumbled, hoping no one would hear. Luckily, no one did. He was thinking about how many times his father had told him the story of the picnic. The one they went on while his mother was pregnant with him. One of the last things they got to do with her. That story had always made Llewyn upset because of how amazing it was and he thought he ruined it. 

"Because of him they couldn't do it ever again," was the kind of thought he had when he heard the story. 

Betsy rode to be next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She knew that it was a sore spot for him. Pretty much everything about their mother was to him. 

"Ok, let's get moving!" Aldrik commanded, trying to break the tension. At the back were two boys who were about to kill each other, and at the front were two kids about to start bawling their eyes out.

"Yeah... let's go!" Llewyn managed to get out with a stable voice. 

"Don't fall behind, Al!" Cassian exclaimed, "Yah!"

"Shut your whole face!" Al screamed, "Yah!" 

The two sped off in front of the already fast group of horses galloping. They were stupidly close to each other as though they were about to start fist fighting on horseback! And as their horses neared the town, they slowed so as not to hurt themselves. The boys were scowling at each other and it seemed as though the horses wanted none of this negative energy and trotted in separate directions.

The boys steered their horses into the town where one woman who was dressed quite strangely walked up to them. She was wearing a shirt that did not reach the whole way down and her pants went halfway down her shin and puffed out at the bottom. She had her hair tied up in a red piece of cloth, and she had a big black coat with gold trimmings on over her shirt.

"Howzit, boys?" she asked, resting her shoulders on Cassian's horse. 

"Fine. Don't you think it's a bit warm for a coat like that, Miss?" Cassian asked, glaring at Al angrily. 

"Huh? Well it's not really a warm coat. More airy. Anyway, what're you boys doin' here?"

"We're travellin'!" Al explained, "No explorin' though..."

"Really? But that's the best part of travel! My old husband told me to spend my life explorin' the world!"

"Well we're travelling to a new place to live. And it's up north! We need to get their quickly," Cassian explained.

"You don't look to be going very fast right now," she commented, pushing herself off of Cassian's horse. 

"Well our travelling party's back there," Cassian stated, pointing to the group in the field. It looked like Llewyn had cheered up. He was joking around with Val, so he was fine.

"So, where're you headed up north anyway?"

"Amzu. Our brother over there is going for wizard training," Cassian explained again. 

"You're brothers? I don't see much of a resemblance," the woman said, looking at both of their faces.

"It's... complicated," Cassian stated simply, scratching the back of his neck. 

"Oh? Wanna tell me? I like hearing about how family's come together," she asked, noticing a blank staring on Al's face.

"Well I was adopted by the family as a 'slave' after my family... all passed. It was simpler than actually legally adopting me, so y'know."

"I see... I am sorry for your loss. I know how it feels to lose family," she said, commenting afterward, "Would you mind getting your brother to stop staring at my tits?"

"Alphonzo! That is incredibly rude!" 

"Huh? You can fucking talk!"

"Woah, zero to a hundred in a second!"

"I am not staring at her breasts, am I?"

"No, 'cause you like boys!" 

Al struck a nerve. He'd always said that about Cassian, and he wasn't wrong. But the _way_ he said it. Like it was a terrible sin. He hated that. He was worried about telling Al about what he liked. It scared him. Sure, they weren't really friends, but he still liked what they had with each other, and didn't want to ruin that. So he simply replied with,

"No I don't, asshole!"

"Well why have I never met one of your girlfriends?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"They... only want me for one thing."

"Trust me, Al. I've been in more women's beds than you can count."

"So... infinity? Even I know that's not possible!"

The woman chuckled at that. 

"You two are strange! I like that," she said. Val rode up behind the boys and asked,

"Who's this?"

"Oh dearie, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?"

"No, I don't think you have," Cassian answered.

"Well let me! Ellix Allem, former pirate extraordinaire! At your hooves!"

She had jumped around and ended up bowing to the horses after spinning around a few times as theatrical flare. Her hair hung from the top of her cloth wrap and nearly touched the floor her bow was so deep.

"Ellix. Ellix? Strange name," Cassian began before stopping and asking with an unbelieving tone, "Pirate? What?"

"That's right! I was a pirate sailing the open seas not half a year ago!"

"You two are meeting dangerous pirates? Gees, can't leave you alone for more than two seconds. I thought you were coming along to keep me safe," Valiant joked.

"Haha, I assume you're their brother?"

"That's right. Valiant Boland," he said, reaching his hand out for a handshake. She took his hand and shook it with an unexpectedly firm grip. 

"And I never got your name, big mister."

"I'm Cassian."

"Ok. So, who's the leader of your group? I'd like to invite you all to stay in our inn for the night!"

"At this time of day? Midday's not even come yet."

"Well there's not another town for a while out here. Scarstone scares everyone off."

"Huh? What's scary 'bout Scarstone? We just rode passed it, and it was fine," Al asked.

"There's all these nasty rumours 'bout ghosts, y'see. They say there were people that lived in it and they all died. Lotsa people seem to think there's ghosts in there and they're scared of it."

"Ghosts? We just went in there and there were some bats, but that's about it."

" _Smelled_ like death!"

"No ghosts, though."

"Obviously! They are not real," Aldrik said, riding up behind them. 

"We know that, but the travellers don't," Ellix sighed, placing her hand on her bandana. 

"Why do you even have an inn if you don't get travellers?" Edmond asked, his and Jeanne's horses trotting up. 

"For occasions such as these. Sometimes people come to try and find the ghosts." 

"Foolish," Jeanne muttered into her shoulder. 

Ellix guided the group along the few paths to the inn. She let them in and stood behind the counter. She treated them as strangers as they hired their rooms. There weren't enough rooms in the small inn that hadn't been used in quite a while, so Betsy and Jeanne had to share a room, Llewyn and Al had to share, Cassian and Val had to share a room and Aldrik shared with Ed.

"Who wants a meal? I can make you all a meal," Ellix insisted from behind the counter before the group left the room. 

"Me!" Llewyn exclaimed, having somehow moved from the door to the counter in what seemed like less than a second.

"I guessed as much...," she thought to herself, looking to the ground and mentally rolling her eyes. 

"Me too, thanks!" Ed said, raising his hand as he left the room. 

The rest of the group sounded off except for Aldrik who simply said,

"I'm fine."

Everyone found themselves in their rooms. Cassian sat on the one bed in their room and Val sat in the chair at the desk opposite the bed. Cassian laid down and looked at the ceiling, thinking of he dick. He didn't know why his mind had drifted to dicks, but it had. Valiant was sitting and thinking about what kind of magics he might learn in the coming time. He thought of how Kyler might be feeling, how Duni might be, how his mother might be. Then his mind drifted to his father. Whether or not he was alive. Where he might be if he were alive. Did he have another family? Had he forgotten all about him?

"So... what're we gonna do about Al?" Cassian asked, still staring at the ceiling. He was talking about telling him about their preferences. Val understood.

"I... dunno. He's so against it, I don't know how I'm gonna tell him," he answered, turning so his legs were spread across the back of the chair. 

"It's gonna be difficult, that's for sure. And it's not like we can cut him out of our lives..."

"I wouldn't want to," Val commented. 

"I know. Me neither. But... if he can't accept me for who I am..."

"It would be hard to be around him."

"Really, really hard. What if I had a boyfriend at the time? Then I couldn't be around him at all or I think he'd try to make me feel lesser. He tries to do that all of the time anyway," Cassian said. The two of them were whispering just in case anyone could hear them. 

"I wonder what would dad would think about it..."

"Garson? He was a great man second-to-last thing I remember of him."

"I don't remember anything about him apart from what he looks like."

"That makes sense. You were young."

In Betsy and Jeanne's room, the girl and the lady were not doing anything in particular which made Jeanne twitchy. She did not like being unproductive. It wasn't her way. She was always doing something to move towards a goal, be that an effective new strategy or setting up new defences or training recruits. She was always doing something and not doing that made her uncomfortable. She would eat and sleep and take breaks for her physical health, but it wasn't normal for her to not be doing anything.

Betsy was sitting at a desk with her feet up punching the air for no reason. She figured they had nothing to do until the food was ready, and was just entertaining herself as she could. Jeanne noticed her punches and found herself something to do.

"That is not proper technique," she said, hoping for a chance to correct her. 

"I know. We learned to fight in school," Betsy moaned.

"Show me your stance then," Jeanne insisted.

Betsy got up and got into her typical punching stance that she would use with punching bags and dummies. 

"No, no, no. That is not correct. Here. Let me help," Jeanne said, moving Betsy's shoulders to be slimmer, pulling her fists in closer to her chest, and widening her stance. She commanded, "Now show me how you punch."

Betsy let her fist forward quickly and not straight. It ended up from on the other side of her body. Jeanne took hold of her wrist, and showed her the proper way to punch forward, up and down. 

"Well they didn't teach all that in school. Thanks I guess."

"You are welcome," Jeanne said, returning to the side of the bed.

In Aldrik and Edmond's room the pair were just sitting about.

"So, you think those two will be any better than the last two?" Ed asked from the edge of the bed. Aldrik looked over and asked,

"You mean my own flesh and blood? No, of course not."

"'Of course'? There's that ego."

"What? They were great apprentices. I just hope these two can measure up."

"I do too," Ed said laying on the bed for a second before his fidgeting brought him back up. 

In Llewyn and Al's room, Al looked out the window and Llewyn lay rubbing his belly. He moaned and groaned.

"How long's this food gonna take?"

"Woah, calm down, bud. It's only been getting cooked for a few minutes."

"Did you hear that? It's growling!"

"Seriously, have you eaten in the past few days?"

"Yeah, I ate this morning!"

"Then you shouldn't be that hungry. What's wrong with that gut, huh?"

"Hey! Don't talk about that!"

"Well I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be that hungry. It's not even midday yet!"

As Al looked out the window, he saw a plain-looking woman walk past. She had clothes piled up in her arms so that she could nearly not see over them. She looked over to Al and was surprised. She gave him a smile and waved so she dropped pile. She started to panic as the clothes tumbled to the ground. Al jumped onto the table and stumbled out of the window, scrambling over to her. 

"You need some help?" Al asked, his nose nearly touching the ground.

"U-uh... Yes?"

Al took the clothes from the floor and put them on top of her pile. She was quite scared by his... enthusiasm. He was going so fast and with a strange, creepy grin plastered to his face.

"Yep. Now that's not normal...," Llewyn thought to himself, "He just slept with someone..."

He eventually finished stacking the clothes and she rushed off. Al watched her as she walked away and found himself back at the front door to the inn. He slinked his way in quietly so as to not draw the attention of Ellix. When he got back to the room, he sat back at the seat as though nothing had happened. 

After a while had passed, Ellix announced from the foyer with two hot plates in-hand,

"Food's ready!"

She was surprised by how fast Llewyn ended up mere centimetres from her face. He turned his face to one of the plates, and felt like he was about to drool. 

"Uhh, here you are," she said, pushing the plate toward him. He snatched the plate from her hand and landed his rear on the chair at the table. He took a fork and planted it into the red meat that he knew had been cooked despite its visual rawness. He began to cut the piece of meat when Val walked out. He shook his head at the sight of Llewyn already digging in. 

"I knew you'd be out here already," he sighed, hand to his head. 

"Here you are. Is that a common occurrence with him? He's like a ghost," Ellix said, handing Val his plate. She skipped into the back room and came back out with two more plates. 

"I'm sorry if I'm enthusiastic about my food!"

"More than enthusiastic," Val said, sitting down across from Llewyn. He glared at Val as he ate. Al walked in and smirked, looking at the two at the table. 

"You two were quick."

"And? I'm hungry!" Val exclaimed, digging his fork into the meal.


	7. Amzu!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes around Ellix's town and then sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm promoting this work through my other work 'Dominoes', and if you're coming through from there, thank you, and I hope you're liking it so far! 
> 
> This chapter has some world building that I feel is important.

After the whole travelling group had eaten, some of them decided to go about the town; even if it was small. 

Val and Cassian walked about the town together, looking at the buildings littered around. They found the church. It was a small building with torches around the outside of the door, which reached near the ceiling. It was the only stone building in sight. Churches in Oclar towns took the priority in the order of buildings. It took the most valuable materials, and most of the time of the people who worked there. The priests were required to spend several nights a month preparing meals to give to the wyverns to give to the dragons. Priests had to go to Oclar's capital city - Morgate - to train in religion.

Val and Cassian went in. The silky seats of the pews that crossed the room enticed Val. They were a comfort to all of them. Church was a place that comforted most people in Oclar. There was no discrimination in who could come and pray to the Grand Dragon. He was not one to judge others. The Grand Dragon spent most of his time slumbering under Morgate in the restricted labyrinths. He would receive the prayers of the people in Oclar, and occasionally answered them with miracles. He would send wyverns and dragons with gifts, or the things that were prayed for. Sometimes he would send dragons as a sign of blooming romance - though that was rare.

Val and Cassian prayed. Val, about his future; and Cassian, for a prosperous bed life in his near future. People prayed for things that they knew couldn't be granted _technically_ , but they hoped. While the pair prayed, they were approached by a priest. He waited for them to finish. When Cassian opened his eyes, he looked over to Val, and noticed the white and red robes behind him, looked up and stood up. He nodded gently at the priest who waved back. He was old and wrinkled, and his hat draped down his back like a veil cast back, or a cape.

Val's eyes opened, and he fell back after he realised there was a man standing next to him.

"Hello, my child. Gata."

"I am not yet a Gata, priest," Cassian explained, looking to the floor. Gata was a traditionally-used term that priests and clergymen used to talk about adult men.

"Ah, but is that true? Time does not determine maturity. You have seen some terrible times, my child."

"I've had more than my fair share of good times too, thank you."

"Yes. I can see that."

"You don't think I'm mature?" Val asked, standing up and slipping out from between the pews.

The priest looked down to Val and took it in. 

"Not yet. I can see hardship has been with you. Did a parent leave?"

"Well... yes."

"Either way, suffering is not a competition or a desired thing. Please do not seek it out in attempts to become more 'mature'."

"Thank you for your guidance. I will be facing more hardship soon. I will be undertaking wizard training and I was just praying for the strength to face my trials."

"Wizard training? My... I suppose it's my honour to give this advice to you."

"I am no wizard yet. No need to be extra polite to me."

"I can see strength dwelling in you. I wish you the most luck in this endeavour."

"Thank you, Father."

"Thank you, Father."

Val and Cassian left the priest to his church and spoke amongst themselves.

Edmond, and Alphonse walked together through the town, in an opposite direction to Val and Cassian. They were walking along the path toward the river. 

"So, did Joane go home alright?" Ed asked, looking to the sky ahead.

"Yeah. Better than alright, if you know what I mean," Al joked, pushing his shoulder into Ed's side. 

"Well I wouldn't know, really."

"You? What? I bet the chicks are all over you!"

"That they are. Though I wish they weren't."

"Huh? What? Why?"

"Well, you know... I'm not really _into_ women," Ed explained, continuing to stare out into the sky.

"..."

Al was silent. He was processing.

"You alright? You got a problem?"

"Um... that's weird! It's weird right? You're pulling my leg, right?"

"No. That's who I am."

Al was still processing. He had never known someone like this before. But he'd heard that they were bad people from his friend circle back in Yarrin. He believed that Edmond was a good person, but that contradicted all that he knew about men who liked men. He didn't understand it in the slightest.

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I'm quite certain. I mean, I've slept with many men, and enjoyed it. Never been attracted to a woman."

"Really?"

"Yes. Why would I lie?"

"Uhh, I'm going back to the inn," Al said, walking back toward the inn. His head was reeling. 

Aldrik and Jeanne walked towards the weather tower at the edge of the small town. Weather towers were structures that were in every town. They were enchanted to help tell the temperature in a day. When you touched one, its temperature and moistness would tell you what the weather would be like in the immediate area in a day. 

"I am going to redo the enchantment here for these people. They loosen as time goes on. And I suspect that they do not get many wizard visitors around here."

"Good idea, Sir."

"Thank you, Jeanne. I will need help getting up, however. This old body is fragile."

"Of course, Aldrik."

Jeanne took Aldrik by the ankles and hoisted him up to a ledge on the weather tower. He thanked her, and waved down at her. She didn't respond to it so he continued on with his ritual. 

"Gua, fue, clima," he mumbled, closing his eyes, and putting his hands to the warm wood of the tower. He chanted it over and over again, until the temperature changed a little.

"Are you done yet, Aldrik?"

"Yes, Jeanne. Could you help me down now?"

"Of course."

Jeanne allowed him to stand on her shoulders and lowered him down until he could step off.

"Thanks. Now then, what's next?"

Betsy stood outside the inn with her horse, brushing its mane. Ellix pranced to her, and wrapped her arms around Betsy's neck. Betsy was surprised, and pushed back. 

"Ah! Didn't expect that," Ellix said, letting go of Betsy's neck.

"Wha? Sorry, but you surprised me! What do you expect? I've never been this far from home!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"No, nothing to worry about!"

"Anyway, what're you doing?"

"Looking after my horse?"

"I can see that, now."

"Say, have you got any dating experience? I'm in kind of a dry spot now, and need advice."

"I've dated guys before, but I've never really gotten attached. They always asked me out."

"Well how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Get them to ask you out?"

"I didn't really get them to. It just kinda happened."

"And you said that there were many? You aren't _that_ pretty."

"I guess they thought they could bond with me 'cause of my training. You see these?" Betsy asked, showing of her biceps.

"Impressive!"

"Hehe, thanks. You wanna know why I didn't do anything with those boys?"

"You wanna tell me?"

"I don't like them. I like girls..."

"Well, I myself have enjoyed the company of women. My husband and I had quite the open relationship. We oft enjoyed the company of crew members together."

"Really? Life must be crazy out on the sea."

Betsy was happy! She'd met the first woman remotely like her! In town, no woman or girl said that they also liked women.

"It was. Always avoiding the navies, finding small islands to spend time on for a while, sea battles! You know, all the cool stuff!"

"Can... can I hug you?"

"Huh? Sure!" 

Betsy wrapped her arms around Ellix's waist, and held her tight!

"I've never known someone who would admit such a thing to anyone!"

"Well, I'm glad you told me!" Ellix shouted, returning her hug.

The group gathered in the inn again, and after some discussion, they all went to their beds. Cassian and Val were in the same bed - and Val was nervous. They were back to back, but Val knew that Cassian was a turner from times that they had camped together. He was nervous that Cassian would turn around and have that massive cock of his hard and that would make him at least a little hard. Cassi was scared that Val would notice the hard-on that he had no control over.

"Ugh! I hate myself! Why?" he thought to himself.

In the morning, Val rushed out of the bed and out to the outhouse by the inn. He had the hardest boner he'd ever had. That night was good to him, but also terribly painful with all of the stiffys that came and went. He rubbed one out into the bucket of water that was typically used for piss and used it for what it was meant. After cleaning himself up, and wiping himself of sweat, he pulled his boxers back up and left the outhouse.

"Why am I so gross?" he thought to himself.

He ran back to the inn, and ran into Ellix - nearly fully naked. He was shocked. And he felt a stirring _again_. She noticed him and covered herself up. 

"What are you doing here? I didn't expect you up for a couple hours," she whisper-shouted before running back into the back of the counter. 

"I'm sorry...?" he whispered back, approaching the counter.

"Don't be," she mumbled, walking back out with her jacket draped over her and buttoned up. She continued, "I shouldn't have been like that out here when I have guests. That's just rare."

"My mum owns an inn, but I don't think she'd walk around like that. Maybe because of the three boys in the house next door. But you do you," Val explained, leaning on the bench. 

"Hmm, really? You grew up in an inn? Was it very big?"

"The building was. But not really the business. Our town only got visits from the town to the north often."

"Oh, more than here."

"I get that."

The building didn't look like it was very lived in outside of the foyer and Ellix's back room. It was eery. As they talked, Al walked in, clearly engaged in deep thought. Val saw, and snickered.

"That's probably the most you've thought your whole life!" Val whispered, unable to stifle a chuckle that was louder than he wanted.

"I'm just... processing."

"What is it?"

"Did you know Edmond likes men?"

"Well, yeah. He doesn't exactly try to hide it, Al."

"Really? I had no idea until he told me yesterday."

"One of the first things he told me was that he liked men."

"Why did that come up?"

"Uhh- no reaso- oh, Llew was going on about girls, and you know..."

"Oh, that makes sense. But you don't have any problem with that?"

"Why would he?" Ellix asked, laying over the top of the counter.

"Well, he _likes_ men. Doesn't that make him a bad person?"

"That doesn't make you bad. What you do is what decides if you are good or bad."

"Why do you think it's a bad thing to like men?"

"It's just that's what I've been told. I never thought I'd meet someone like that anyway."

"Well you have. Now you've gotta deal with it. He's gonna be a big part of our lives in Amzu."

"Hmm. I guess he will."

Jeanne strolled out of the corridor that lead to the rooms, and approached the door, "I shall prepare the horses."

"Aww, you guys are leaving already? I guess I get it... wizard training and stuff."

"Hey, uhh, Jeanne wasn't it?" Al asked, looking over to her.

"Yes. That is my name."

"You know about Edmond's... persuasion, yes?"

"Yes, he is very good at convincing people."

"That's not what I meant."

"You mean his attractions?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you're totally fine with that, yes?"

"Of course. He is my brother. What is your point?"

"Well, how did you get fine with that?"

"Well, I... saw how terrible he was treated for something inconsequential in the long run, and I was swayed by my emotions."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Our mother was a terrible woman. She still may be. She would abuse my poor younger brother. Humiliate him in public. There was a lot of blood. We moved between houses often due to the blood stains and the like. That is what convinced me to flee our home and we ended up in Oclar."

Al was in silence, but Val burst into a concerned babble of words, "That really happened to him? Oh, lord, that sounds so terrible. I wanna give him a hug!"

"The concern you display for my brother is endearing, but I assure you, he would not appreciate that."

"A hug? He didn't seem like he was that kind of person," Ellix cut in.

"While, yes, he appreciates the occasional hug, what I meant was that he has moved past that part of his life. He, in fact, is quite apologetic toward her. I do not understand why, though."

"Really? He's apologetic for that? She'd make him bleed often and he's apologetic?"

"You would have to let that come up in conversation and ask him for his reasoning. I truly do not understand it."

Jeanne left the door, and Betsy walked through the door in a small nighty that barely fit her muscular frame. She kept pulling down on it and pulling it back up.

"You sure that fits you, babe?" Ellix asked, turning her head upside down on the counter. 

"B-babe?"

"Sorry, does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Uhh, yeah."

Betsy sat across from Al. She was fidgeting in her chair, and rubbing her eyes clear. After fidgeting about for too long, she rushed back to the room.

"Why was she wearing something so small?"

"She's been growing a lot recently. All of her exercising does that you know. She trains specifically for muscle mass."

"Uh... huh. And you know that why? You got a crush?"

"No. We've never been close, and I'm pretty sure that's how it's gonna stay."

"Sure, sure."

"Hey, he's your brother, you should believe what he says."

"I do. Didn't you hear me say sure?"

"That was _clearly_ sarcasm."

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes," Val interjected.

They went on for a while before Cassian walked out in his sweaty tank top. He was clearly still tired and hadn't gotten any sleep in the night. Val was confused by that. He'd gotten to sleep despite initial concerns, and he had plenty of rest. After he plopped down onto the seat, he basically fell back to sleep. His snores filled the room, despite them being light.

Al rolled his eyes, and banged his head on the table a couple of times. 

"This shit. Fucking. Kills. Me."

"His snores?"

"When he still slept in the house, his snores would come through the walls, and I couldn't sleep until Dad left."

"Really? It was that bad?"

"Yes. Hey, Cass, can I slap you?"

"No," Cassian mumbled through snores.

"Go back to bed," Val said.

"Can't. Edmond had to use the room," he muttered, opening his eyes for but a moment. 

"You need to be able to ride a horse. Go sleep on the bed with Llewyn."

"Uhh... I didn't sleep on the bed last night."

"You slept on the floor?"

"...Yep."

"Uhh... wanna use my bed?" Ellix asked, pointing her thumb back into her room.

"Could I...?" Cassian stumbled through to Ellix's room. 

After he collapsed onto the bed, he blacked out, and when he woke up again, he was feeling refreshed. When he walked out, he found everyone all ready to leave. He hid behind the wall and pressed his palm to his forehead. He was still in the clothes he'd worn to bed while all of them had changed already. He was embarrassed and slunk through the room as quiet as he could- but he was noticed. Llewyn saw him and waved. Cassian shushed him as he made it into the corridor.

"Hey, Cassian!" Ed exclaimed, walking up behind him and putting his arm around his shoulder, "Didn't get much sleep?"

"Nope. I'm all rested up now, though...," Cassian answered, tightening his body up awkwardly.

"Good thing. Thanks for letting me use your room to get changed."

"No problem."

"Sorry for waking you up before you were ready, though," Ed said, patting Cassian on the back and walking over to his and Aldrik's room. 

After a little while longer, everyone was ready to leave, and mounted their horses. Jeanne and Ed took the cart on their horses' backs again. Ellix followed them as they rode along the path, passed the church, and for a little while out of town. Some of the few people from town waved as they passed.

"See ya. You guys were fun to have around! I wish we'd have more people come down here!"

"Oh, well, here's some good news for you! We'll be sending people through every month with food for these boys' family. So you'll be getting more guests at that inn!"

"Really? Thank you so much!"

The group rode, leaving Ellix with big smiles, and wide waves. They rode as the sun rose into the sky. Llewyn and Val rode at the front, Betsy, Cassian, and Aldrik rode in the middle of their group, and Edmond and Jeanne rode at the back again due to their cart, but Al rode even further behind them.They rode through the field around the town, and back into the forest. The grass stood tall as it had clearly not been trodden in a long time. The trees stood tall, but seemed to be withering near the canopy. Birds flew betwixt the branches and trunks of the trees. There was the clear sounding off of several animals deeper in - boars, bears, wolves, day bats, rune cats, and so many more. A few Piepo popped up from the dirt, though that wasn't where they were meant to dig. 

The group rode until the sun began to fall and arrived at the mountain range that formed the border of Oclar. Some of them reached up into the clouds they were so tall. Al, Val, Cassian, Betsy, and Llewyn all gawked at the mountains. They heard the singing of a mountain goat, and the faint clanging of metal as they stared. The further they went, the more the path was defined, and eventually they found themselves out of the forest. They were in a field. From that field, they could see it - Amzu! It was a barely visible on the horizon, but they could see it in the distance - a small, grey rectangle far away.

"That's it!" Aldrik exclaimed, pointing directly at the city and running his horse ahead with a start.

"Wow, and we're so far away!"

"Looks nice!"

"Is it?"

"Of course. Do you think we would remain there if it were not to our standards?"

Aldrik had already blasted ahead and cut about an eighth of the distance between them and the castle city. His horse seemed to be getting tired.

"Hey, you think we could go ahead?" Val asked, looking back to everyone.

"If that is your wish."

"Yeah, sure. We can stay behind!"

"Thanks!"

Val, Llewyn, Betsy and Al went ahead, trying to catch up to Aldrik. Cassian decided to stay behind with Jeanne and Ed. 

"So, Cassian, do you have any experience in tactics or strategy?" Jeanne asked, her back stuck up with perfect posture.

"Well, I did partake in hunting, but I was usually brute force."

"Of course you were...," Ed mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Huh? Nothing."

Val, Al, Betsy, and Llewyn nearly caught up with Aldrik before his horse got what seemed like a second wind. It was ridiculous how much this horse could do. Val deduced that it was some sort of magical intervention on Aldrik's part.

Llewyn's horse seemed like it needed a desperate break. So did Betsy's. She decided that she could walk the rest of the way, and that that would count as leg exercise. She strolled alongside her horse with the reins in-hand. 

"You're really gonna walk the rest of the way, sis?"

"Yeah. That's good legs."

"Good what?"

"Good legs. That's what I said. I'm not gonna take it back."

"Alright."

"It would do you good to do this too, y'know, Llew."

"Yeah, well that's too far for me. What do you expect from me?"

"You can get back on your horse if you get tired."

"You realise we're gonna have to walk through the city, and the castle when we get there right? I'm fine, Bets."

"Oh... the town too. I kinda forgot about that part didn't I?"

"You think you'll be able to handle it?"

"I'll do it!"

Aldrik's horse eventually pulled up at the gate. He dismounted as the guards began to raise it.

"Welcome back, sir."

"Sir." 

"Hello, John, Tio. Thank you for welcoming us back."

"No problem, sir. The wife's out tonight, so I thought I'd work."

"Ahh, I see."

John took Aldrik's horse by the reins and guided it away. Aldrik sat in a chair set up next to the gate, and waited for the rest of the party to join him.

The sun had begun to set, and the clouds were pink as Val, Llewyn, Betsy, and Al arrived at the gate. Val had a huge grin plastered to his face as he admired all of the buildings - tall, short, massive, and tiny. He admired the architecture happily. It was beautiful. He heard the shout of a woman running towards them.

"Hey, welcome!" the woman had long, flowing, blonde hair not too dissimilar to the colour of Val's hair.

"Oh, this is Lanca," Aldrik said, gesturing to the running woman.

"Oi! I wanted to introduce myself!"

"Sorry, but you weren't doing it!"

"Well I was still running! I wasn't gonna do it from over there!"

"Well, I'm sorry if I wanted them to know your name before you got here!"

"You two need to calm down," Llewyn sighed.

"Well he was being rude!"

"I was actually doing you a service!"

"Seriously, it's not a big deal is it?" Val asked.

"First impressions are important! And now... this is mine. Thanks a _lot_ , Aldrik!"

"Haha, you're welcome, Lanca."

"Anyway, I'm here to take you all on your tour through this fine city of Amzu."

"Cool. We have one more of us. He's out there with all of our stuff."

"Oh, let's wait. Aldrik, you can go about your business now."

"There isn't really much that I need to do. It's pretty much night. Maybe your tour should be held till the morning. I can pull the first lesson back a few hours or however long you want."

"B-b-but... oh, I guess you're right. Could you take them to the castle? I wanna go see my husband."

"I guess. Bye," Aldrik said, waving her as she ran off again. 

"She doesn't like you, does she?"

"Not really, no."

Cassian, Jeanne, and Ed rode up to the gate, and a guard took Cassian's horse with him. Aldrik took them through the city, to the centre - where the castle stood. It was tall, and wide and had many towers adorning it. Large windows were dotted along the sides, and they showed into the lavish rooms inside with drapes that hung low. They entered, and the newcomers all gasped at how beautiful it was in there. 

"Uhh, Cama, take these boys to the rooms in the western wing. Mamo, take Betsy to a room in the eastern wing."

One of the maids took the boys up a long set of stairs and another took Betsy down the hallway, until they arrived at the rooms. Val and Llewyn's rooms were near to each other, Al's room was on a different floor, and Cassian's was at the end of a hall on the same floor as Val and Llewyn's. 

Val fell into his bed and felt it envelop him in its softness and fell asleep. Llewyn, Al, and Cassian all lay in their beds awake until they could fall asleep. Betsy did the same in her ground-floor bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally at Amzu! Time for learning and magic! And... drama! Lots of drama!


	8. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day in Amzu. Valiant and Llewyn begin their training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter. Can't wait to show all of the parts of this city, and introduce all of the characters who live here. It's pretty diverse, and they're coming. We're getting into the main meat of the story now.

Kyler woke up with a start in the light that passed through his window. He covered his eyes, and walked over to his door. His body was bare - but he didn't care. His parents left him the upper floor of the house to use as he wished and rarely came up. He liked the fact that he could walk around nude without any form of embarrassment. Even with all of this space, he always felt crowded when he was around his parents. He felt like they were always surrounding him. 

He grabbed a book out of the small library that he had been building up over the years, and returned to his bed. He looked at the title on the front, and remembered this book. It was the book that he'd read that inspired him to become close with Valiant. It was about a pair of boys, who, looking back on it, were almost definitely on the cusp of courting. One of the boys reminded him of Val, and the other reminded him of himself so deeply that after finishing it, he decided to try with Valiant. 

"Hey, boy!" his father called from downstairs. 

"Dad, call me by my name, please!" Kyler commanded, slipping into some grey slacks. A shirt slid over his skinny body with near no toning and he began walking towards the door to the stairs. 

"Sorry, Ky!"

As he walked, he played with his hair. It was getting long. "I like it," he thought to himself.

When he made it down to his father, he sighed as he threw a ball at him. He shook his head, and began to make his way back to the stairs.

"Hey, what're you doin'?"

"Dad, I'm not interested."

"C'mon, you loved playin' ball with me when you were a kid!"

"Well I'm not a kid anymore."

"You... ok. But come on. You've hardly even gone outside since your friends left town. You've gotta leave the house. Ya can't just stay up there naked all day."

"Well why not? The weather permits it. And I get plenty of sun from the window."

"It's not the same... listen- your mother wants you to build a little bit. Look at those arms. How can you expect to swing a sword with those?"

"I can do it fine. I can also pull a bowstring quite effectively."

"You wanna be an army official, you're gonna need some bulk to carry the armour you'll have to wear! That shit weighs you down."

"Dad. Leave me alone. A couple more days. Please. I'll play a game when I'm ready to."

"Ok...," Kyler's father sighed, pushing himself up from the couch to regain the ball. He had been playing with it before, and wanted something to do with his hands.

When he returned to his room, he considered stripping again, but decided he'd do something different - or really, go back to his norm. He returned to his tree. He cracked the book and was greeted by the drawing that had been printed onto very few copies of the book. The boy standing at the front with a confident, puffed chest, and the slouched boy behind him. His finger trailed the outline of the boys as he thought of Val.

He was remembering him again. But he didn't let that stop him. He turned the page again, and again, and again. He kept reading the book for a long time, and was so enthralled he didn't notice a travelling merchant's cart roll passed him or the sky becoming dark. He managed to read in the dark for quite a while, and when he snapped out of it, the moon was nearly at its highest point. He had no idea about it, and no clue how he could read so well in the dark. He'd made it three-quarters into the book already. 

After snapping out of his trance, he sprinted towards his home, and snuck in the back. He didn't realise how slow he was while running, but he did notice the constant grumbling of his stomach - he hadn't eaten all day. 

When he got up the stairs, he creaked open the door atop them, and saw his mother and father on the floor. Asleep leaning on each other. They'd clearly stayed up there waiting for him to return. He smirked, and patted his mother on the head before returning to his room to sleep.

Back when Kyler woke up in the lower-end town of Yarrin, Valiant awoke at the exact same time. However, he didn't get up with a start. He near refused himself getting out of this glorious bed that he found himself in. He was still in the same clothes that he'd worn the day before. He wished he hadn't gotten out of the bed. It was too comfortable. 

Val found his bag which had been placed in the corner of the room next to a cupboard and busted it open. He pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt that Cassian had given him that still didn't fit - Cassian thought that he would grow into it sooner than he was. He decided that it was good to wear, though. He was the kind of person who stripped himself entirely before changing into new clothes, and while his body was bare he was shocked. A maid opened the door, he made a small squeak, jumped out of his skin, and covered himself as fast as he could. The maid was embarrassed, and closed the door quickly. 

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't think you would come in here!"

"No, I should have knocked! I am ever so sorry, sir!"

"I shouldn't have been naked! I'm sorry!"

"Val, shut up!" he heard Llewyn moan from the room next door. 

"Uh, I'll just get dressed now."

Val put the clothes on, and walked out with an awkward smile on his face.

"...Impressive," the maid mumbled, scratching her chin. 

Val pretended he didn't hear it despite how obvious it was that he had with the way his skin was reddening and the heating of his skin. She giggled. Llewyn stepped out of his door, and almost fell right to the ground.

"That bed... I want back..."

"Me too. Too bad, though," Val said, walking over to support Llewyn, however minimally it was effective. 

"So... Ms Lanca is ready to take you on your tour. She is waiting downstairs at the grand entrance. I will guide you."

The maid took the lead as the boys walked behind her. Val had had enough of supporting Llewyn, and asked politely if he could slap him. He nodded lightly, and Val gave him a hard slap on the cheek. It worked on him. He was hurt, but he was a lot less sleepy. He bounded about happily.

"So, you saw him under the hood? What'd you think?"

"I'd like to refrain."

"I've seen it before, you can tell me what you thought!"

"...I'd rather not, Sir."

"Call me Llew."

She sighed, "Sure."

After they descended the stairs, they were greeted by Edmond and Lanca waiting by the door, and Betsy bounded towards them. 

"Hey, guys!"

"Hey, sis."

"Hey." 

The three of them gathered around Lanca.

"So, my name is Lanca, as you know. What are all of your names?" she asked with a much calmer voice than she had used the day before.

"Betsy Filli!"

"Llewyn Filli."

"Valiant Boland!"

As they introduced themselves, Cassian walked down the stairs, and approached.

"Cassian Finley!"

"Edmond Russo!"

"...I know your name, Ed."

"Well, I wanted to join in!"

"Alright! I'll be taking you all around for a tour today, and then the two of you will be left with Aldrik. Shall we start?" Lanca had clearly prepared this, and wasn't sure how many people they had with them.

"Wait, we're still waiting on someone!"

"I'm here!" Al shouted, waving as he slid slowly down the railing of the stairs. Which would probably be uncomfortable, having a wall behind him. He didn't hop off soon enough, and fell face first onto the floor.

"You alright?" Val asked, running over to Al. 

"Yeah. I'm fine," Al answered, ignoring Val's outstretched hand. 

"Ok... are we all here now?"

"Yeah!"

Lanca decided to take the tour through the castle first.

"This is castle Amzu. This is the east wing, and this is the west wing. To the north is the council's hall, where Aldrik takes counsel regarding how to run the city. The grand ballroom is west of that, and passed both of those is the courtyard. The courtyard holds many smaller buildings, where Aldrik performs his lessons," Lanca explained, walking the group through the halls and showing the rooms to the north and the courtyard. She took them to the eastern wing, and explained, "Here in the eastern wing you can find: a whole lot of quarters, the kitchens, the dining hall, and the library. Most of the people who stay here are women. Not really sure why."

"So, I'll be spending most of my nights here...," Al muttered before Cassian hit him upside the head. 

"Quit it would you?"

"What?"

"You're too much of an open perv. Keep it to yourself."

"I'm sorry."

Lanca walked them to the west wing, and up to the stairs. She took them through the quarters and away. 

"This is the west wing. There are a few halls of quarters. There is an apothecary, and an armoury. There're several communal living quarters on each floor, and you can access the western towers only from the top floor of the base building, so make sure you remember that."

"Where's your room, Llew?" Betsy asked as they were on the way to the stairs.

"Huh? Oh, we passed it earlier. I'll show you later."

Lanca took the group out to the town. The roads surround this castle were paved with cobblestones, and the buildings closest were built from stone and brick. They passed a smithy, several restaurants, inns, armouries, larger houses, what looked like a schoolhouse, parks, a library, stables, stores, and lots of people.

"This is the city! As you saw yesterday, these stone roads don't last the whole way. Oh, is that... that's my favourite! This is a food cart! They have all sorts of the tastiest food ready quick fast!"

"Really? Let's eat!" Llewyn exclaimed, licking his lips excitedly.

"Do any of you have any money on you?"

"I... do not."

"Neither."

"Nope."

"I wish."

"No money. 

"Lanca, why do I get the feeling you have none either?"

"I do! I just wanted to check with everyone else! Do you have any money, Ed?"

"Of course. You realise these _are_ all kids, right?"

"They are? I thought at least this one was an adult," Lanca said, pointing at Cassian.

"Ahh, I will be in a few months."

"And her?"

"A few more months for me."

"You three aren't still in school, right?"

"Nope. The two of us left last year, and-," Llewyn began before Al interrupted him with a shout.

"I am sixteen. M'lady..."

He had gotten uncomfortably close to her. 

"Uh, I'm married? And sleeping with an underaged person is frowned upon quite heavily here. Could get you thrown in the jail."

"Aww man...," Llewyn and Al thought to themselves. Al stepped away.

"Sorry. I didn't know the punishments were so hard here. Geez. Is that old man still in charge here?"

"Aldrik? Yes. Duh! Jeanne runs a tight ship, however."

"My sister upholds the law strictly."

After eating with everyone, Lanca took the group around near the church, and then to one last stop. A strange, small, dome-like building made of a boulder with glowing blue cracks. 

"This is the Soulforge! I'm not allowed in, but this is apparently where a whole heap of magic weapons are made. Not many people are allowed in here. The guy who does it, his apprentice, and magical people here. Like some of Aldrik's children, and him. And you eventually."

"It looks real pretty!" Betsy exclaimed, approaching the blue glow. 

"Yeah, it does. Don't get too close."

"So, people aren't allowed in? Why?"

"Something about it being dangerous."

"Really dangerous."

"Ok... that doesn't scare you, right, Llew?" Val asked, poking him in the side with his elbow.

"No! What about you?"

"No!" 

They were both lying.

"Now then, you two. I'll take you to the castle. I'm sure Aldrik's getting impatient."

"You guys can do what you want," Lanca said, walking off, and dismissing them.

Betsy, Al, and Cassian were all left alone outside of the Soulforge. They weren't sure where to go.

"So, what're we gonna do?" Al asked, looking up to the sky. 

"Huh? I'm not sure. We have no money."

"Window shopping?"

"Sounds boring!"

"Al, that's not true! Shall we go?"

Cassian and Betsy went through the shops together, and they caught a few strange glances being thrown at them. Al went about trying to find his way back to the castle. Betsy and Cassian admired jewellery, and weapons, and shields and armours together. They had fun, and exchanged the occasional quip with each other as they went about with stars in their eyes. Cassian saw so many things that he wished he could buy for himself. When they ended up in a smithy near to the castle, Cassian breathed in the smoky air.

"Now _that_ smells like home!"

Betsy made a questioning face at him, but decided against commenting. The smith walked out from the back, and leaned on the counter.

"You like this place?"

"Of course! Just... smell that air! We're new here, but back where I'm from, I lived in a smithy that I used some times. The smell is just so nice!"

The smell definitely wasn't nice. And it definitely wasn't good for his health, but he loved it. He ran his finger along a countertop, and picked up the soot on his finger. 

"I'm not exactly in the business for the smell. But you lived in a smithy? I don't live in here."

The man was tall, bald, tanned, and muscular. He had a scar running along his cheek. He had a pair of heavy-duty goggles strapped to his head, and big gloves to protect his hands. 

"Well it wasn't an active smithy. The previous owner left and blah, blah, blah."

"I guess I get it. So what can I do for ya?"

"Oh, we don't have any money. Sorry, we're just looking around."

"No money? You didn't bring any with you when you just moved to the city?"

"Well we're living in the castle...?"

"What! The castle?"

"...Yeah..."

"Our brothers are training here."

"That's right. Our brothers are future... knights."

"Cassian, what are you talking about? They're training with Aldrik!"

"The new wizard apprentices? That was announced a few days ago. Good to hear that they got here safely."

"Yeah, they did."

Cassian and Betsy said their goodbyes to the owner, and made their ways back into the castle. When they entered, they parted ways, and Cassian went up stairs. He was walking to his room, and passed a large window overlooking the courtyard. It was a beautiful area filled with grass, and a garden. In the middle were a few small buildings. 

Cassian was admiring the view when he noticed that a stone rose from the ground. Aldrik, Val, and Llewyn were standing near the garden, and Aldrik summoned water forth to work as a water fall.

"Ok, sit one on both sides please. Legs crossed," Aldrik said, directing the two. They did as they were told. He continued, "Close your eyes and sit here in absolute silence. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Move as little as possible."

Val and Llewyn sat there, breathing deeply - in through their noses, and out through their mouths. They were sitting in front of the waterfall that Aldrik had brought forth, and the sound of the rushing water was calming. It filled their ears.

"Damnit! Now I need to piss!" Val thought to himself. He heard an echo of his voice - somehow.

"Val?" he heard echoing. It was Llewyn.

"Llew!"

And then, he opened his eyes. He was confused. And a little scared. Aldrik was watching from the side, and leaned over.

"You need to get that in check. Keep your eyes closed as long as you can."

Val was going to apologise when he realised something - the courtyard was dark. When he'd closed his eyes, it was still morning.

"I think I did pretty well."

"You didn't last long enough."

"Gee."

"You know what I mean. Either way, we'll have to work on that."

"How long did you want us to do that for?"

"A day."

"A whole day?"

"Well, it's important. I'm assuming you got in, at least."

"I think so. I heard Llew's voice."

"Ok. Well he should be waking up any moment now."

They spoke for a few minutes, and they heard a loud gasp for air as Llewyn woke up. His eyes were wide, and he was clasping his chest. 

"What was that place?" he said in a near scream between gasps for breath.

"The spirit world."

"I opened my eyes- and- and I was falling! I was falling, and I couldn't grab onto the land. I was so close!"

Aldrik scratched his chin, which had grown quite a lot of hair in the day. He was mumbling to himself. 

"You alright, Llew?" Val asked, moving around to the other side of the stone, and comforting him with his arms. 

"Y-yeah. I can't die there, right?"

"No. Or, at least, no such occurrence has been recorded. I have read through all official record of magic in this country, and I recall nothing of it."

"...Good. That was... scary."

"I understand. Next time you go in, you're going to need to make it onto the land. Sometimes, there are things that seem like tests in there, but they are typically mere coincidences. I suppose your first will be this. And yours, Valiant, will be to actually get in."

"I guess so..."

"The two of you are dismissed. You can go to your rooms. Your meals will be ready in an hour. Come to the dining hall then."

Val and Llewyn left the courtyard, and went back up the stairs to their rooms. They knocked at each other playfully as they returned to their rooms, and joked with each other. When they reached their rooms, they parted. Val took a whiff of the air. It was pungent. He took a look down at his pits. They were soaked. He quickly slipped into a new shirt, and hung it on a line in his window. This time, he decided to not take off his pants.

Cassian lay in his room, on his bed. Nothing to do, he was on the verge of falling asleep, when he heard a knock on his door. He moaned a greeting, and Ed opened the door.

"Hello, there. I was thinking about that thing you told me on the road."

"Come in, and close the door, then."

Ed was holding a book between his fingers. It had a red, hard-covered book with a small bit of gold lining its edges. 

"So, you said you like men. I'm not so sure about the woman part, but this book was a big part of my childhood. Very formative. I thought you might enjoy a read," Edmond said, dropping the book to bounce on the bed. Cassian swiped it away and into his hands.

"Erotica?"

"Haha, no. Sorry, you can find that yourself, if you so choose. It's not even very explicit in the relationships. The main characters are _very_ close," Ed apologised, shaking his head.

"I guess I get it."

"Aldrik read through this book once, and he said that he thought the main characters would have wed right at the climax could they."

"Really? Sounds pretty intense. Can't wait to read it."

"That's actually a limited edition. See the illustration on the inside? There are a few in there. Those are special."

"Wow. These look really nice. Hey- this one looks like Val!"

"Really? Let me take a look!" Ed exclaimed, pushing in close to take a look. Cassian resisted the urge to touch him as he was so close. He was scared of what might happen if he did. He made sure to look away from Ed because he was scared of what might happen if he looked. Ed continued, "I guess you're right. His name's Jorric."

"Yeah? He's a good guy, right?"

"Oh, man is he!" Ed exclaimed, moving back from the book. 

Cassian and Ed stayed in his room for a while, talking between themselves, until they were called for. 

The vast dining hall was filled by two long tables that were clearly used for banquets, and another, smaller table at the end. Ten chairs lined the table, and a white table-cloth adorned its top. Val, Al, Llewyn, Betsy, Cassian, Jeanne, Edmond, and Aldrik sat at the table with a man in a black leather vest - this was Gabe, Jeanne's husband.

"Hello... as you probably figured, my name is Gabriel - Gabe, please. Jeanne is my... wife," Gabe said, showing off his ring next to his slender, sunken face. Jeanne placed her hand on his as he laid it on the table. He looked at her and smiled timidly.

"Your clothes don't really suit you, do they, bro?" Ed asked, lightly tapping Gabe with his fist. Gabe was wearing the clothes that were typical of the harder type of bard that you might find littering the countryside, or in Morgate. His high-pitched voice wasn't something that would fit the 'punks'. 

"I guess not," Gabe said, shaking his head a little bit, "But I still like it."

"I like it too."

"Gabe, could you sing us a song?" Al asked from the other end of the table. 

"Huh? Well, I'd actually like to eat first. Sorry, but it's kind of a pressing matter for me."

"He gets payed to sing, Al. You can't just expect him to sing for nothing," Cassian said.

"Oh, I'll sing for you after I have eaten. I am just very hungry."

"I told you to eat this morning, Gabe. Please listen to me," Jeanne said, grabbing onto his shoulder tight.

"I am so sorry, Jeanne. I couldn't find anything to eat."

"Then you should have asked in the kitchen. Nobody would have said no to you."

"I know... I apologise. I was... writing for you a song of love."

"Another?"

"Yes. I love you. You are my light!"

"Aww, you two are so cute!" Betsy exclaimed, looking at the two of them.

"Too sweet for me," Al groaned right before the door opened behind him. A group of maids entered, wheeling carts adorned with plates and bowls. As they laid them out, Al tried to hit on one to no avail.

"She is on the job. Please leave her be," Aldrik pleaded.

Val thought of doing something similar, these were very pretty women, and he thought he might try to be more forward when he came to Amzu. 

The food laid out on the table looked glorious. Val's mouth watered profusely looking at the plate that lay before him. Al hadn't noticed the food - his eyes were busy following the women who circled the table, though he tried to hide that he did. Cassian had already picked up his fork and pricked up a slice of meat from the plate before it had hit the table. Betsy eyed the food briefly before turning her gaze elsewhere. 

"I shall lead us," Aldrik began, "O Great Dragon, it is you whom we thank. O farmers, it is you whom we thank. O people of this great and vast land, it is you to whom we give thanks. To Valiant, and to Llewyn, it is to you whom we give thanks for bringing this group together."

The group who were new to Amzu were confused by the strange variation on the meal prayer that they were so used to. Aldrik raised an eyebrow at their reactions. Cassian explained that the prayers that they used in the south, and Aldrik asked for someone to lead them in a southern style prayer. Cassian took him up, and lead them for another prayer to the Grand Dragon. Afterwards, the group began to dig in. Jeanne tidily and methodically cut her meat up before beginning to eat it. Ed ate ravenously, so did Cassian, Al, and Llewyn. Val and Gabe ate more reservedly than everyone else, and Betsy's eating was so wild that her hands could barely be seen.

"You're hungry...," Gabe muttered, looking at the group that ate ravenously. He looked especially confused by the way that Betsy was moving. 

"This is how they are...," Val said back. 

"So I was not the only one who grew up with somebody who eats like a beast."

"I eat like this sometimes, though. It just depends on the day."

"What are the criteria?"

"The amount of work I have put in in the day. On our last hunt, we had to drag a bear and boars back home, and it was a real ordeal."

"A bear? Who downed that?" Aldrik asked, taking a piece of meat to put into his mouth.

"Me!" Al exclaimed letting some food spill forth and plop onto his lap. 

"Really? That's impressive. You did it by yourself?" Aldrik inquired, looking down the table.

"Yeah, I did!"

"Ok, you focus on keeping your food in your mouth."

The meal went on, and everyone finished around the same time. 

"Would you like to hear that song now?" Gabe asked, handing his plate to a man who walked around the table.

"Yeah!"

"Go ahead!"

"If you want to."

"Oh, Gabe, it is such a beautiful song."

"Ok, I'll start. I left my instrument at home, but I'll deal with it."

"What do you play?"

"Violin."

"Really?"

"Yes. This song is named 'Jeanne Russo: Stoic and Mean, Not to Me (Colours)'. I wrote it for my wife," he began before coughing to clear his throat. He let out a pained chirp for a second, before bringing out an angelic tone to sing,  
"Jeanne Russo, the stoic and mean,  
At least that's what you might have seen,  
However, to me, that she's never been,  
Not blue, not yellow, not green,  
Not red, not pink, not orange, no, that would be to demean,  
She's Black, she's white, she's pink, she's green,  
She's grey, she's red, she's yellow, and purple, and blue,  
She's all that,  
and there's no need to preen,  
For she is the most beautiful I've ever done seen,  
She has layers - so many unseen,  
Though they all hold their own glimmering sheen,  
Jeanne Russo, not stoic, not mean,  
But she's my climactic scene."

Claps erupted from the group at, and around the table. Jeanne had a broad smile plastered onto her face, which was strange. Jeanne hadn't smiled once in the time that they travelled together. Gabe sat back down, and nodded with a strange shivering. Jeanne put her arm around him, and he cuddled up to her.

After a while, the group disbanded, and left to their rooms. Val fell into his bed and felt happy again. Llewyn did the same in his bed. 

"Hey... you're gonna get a boyfriend at some point, right?" Llewyn asked, lying in the folds of his bed. His voice managed to make it through the stone brick wall, and Val heard. He hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"I guess."

"Well, keep it down, please. I just don't wanna hear you and whoever he is when you're in there."

"If it's a girlfriend?"

"Uhh... same thing? I just don't wanna hear your sex life. I'm fine with hearing _about_ it, though."

"Yeah? How about we keep it the same both ways?"

"Ok...," Llewyn mumbled, his eyelids falling over his eyes. Val tried to talk for a little bit, but got no reaction, and eventually fell asleep.

In Cassian's room, a torch was lit near his bed, and he sat by it, reading the book. He wasn't very far in, and had to reread every few paragraphs because he didn't understand it. He was having fun, and struggled to put the book down. It was difficult for him to do it, even when the torch had almost burnt out so he took the book into his bed, and kept it on his chest as he slept.

Betsy lay in her room when she heard a knock from her door. A maid had wanted to greet her and tell her about what to expect in Amzu. She told her that men in town couldn't help but catcall, and try to hit on women no matter what. Even if Jeanne had bared down with an iron fist on the law, she couldn't punish anyone for merely making anyone uncomfortable. The maid also told her that Jeanne was always a good person to go to in times of crisis and how Lanca was also good most of the time for fun. When the maid left, Betsy fell into a deep slumber, and dreamt of women and being in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song was fun to come up with, and the spirit world is going to be popping up a lot, as it is a helpful learning tool for Val and Llewyn. And, yeah, Ky's gonna keep popping up too. He's an important character, and his life's events are going to be important to the story.


	9. Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Val and Llewyn begin classes and meet someone new. Val gets emotional for no reason. Al tries to have a good time. Cassian Meets someone new, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a while to write, sorry. The cast is growing, and I am excited to introduce some of these characters as they'll have a real impact on the story and others.

In the morning, Val woke up and changed clothes one piece at a time, which felt strange to him. He jumped back onto his bed, and closed his eyes until a knock came at his door. It was the maid from from the day prior.

"Umm, mister Valiant, Aldrik has prepared a lesson for today. If you would proceed to the dining hall for your morning meal, he will take you to it."

She hadn't opened the door for fear of what she might see, but Val busted the door open in nearly a second. 

"Hey, what's your name then?" Val asked, walking alongside her toward the stairs. 

"Areli- wait, that other one... I will be but a moment, apologies," she muttered, curtsying and rushing off to Llewyn's door. She knocked on the door, and he came out in a pair of pants. He dragged himself across the floor to where Val stood, and they continued walking with Llewyn's groans filling what would be an awkward silence. 

When they arrived at the dining hall, they sat with each other at a table that was empty save for them. Cassian and Al were still sleeping, and Betsy had gone to the courtyard early in the morning to admire the gardens.

When they finished their meals, they went out to the courtyard, and Betsy smiled as they passed into one of the stone, shed-like buildings in it. It was a small schoolhouse that had a few windows and a chalkboard like the one in Yarrin. Aldrik stood in front of the two desks that the boys stood at. 

"Ok, so today I'll be teaching you. Here are some notebooks for you to write in. And quills," Aldrik began, making a sweeping motion to the front desk. The boys took them slowly to their desks. 

"So, what're we learning?"

"Magical symbology."

"What?"

"You'll need to know for scroll writing," he began before scribbling up a bear up in chalk, "Tell me, what is this?"

"A male bear," Val answered the question.

"And what does it symbolise?"

"Uhh, strength?"

"Wilderness?"

"Right and right," Aldrik said before adding a pair of horns onto the bear's head, "And this?"

"A female bear."

"What does it represent, though?"

"Mothers, protection?"

"Right and right."

Aldrik drew up a sleek, angular dragon's head from the side.

"Strength!"

"Fire!"

"Country!"

"Flight!"

"Freedom!"

"No! Not that last one," Aldrik began, "Dragons aren't free. The Grand Dragon controls them and it is very difficult for them to break from that control."

"Oh..."

Aldrik began scribbling up an owl's head.

"You get the idea right? Go!"

"Smart!"

"Night!"

"Grand!"

"Old!"

"Right. Next," Aldrik said, scribbling up another drawing on the board. They kept going for a while, Aldrik correcting them where they went wrong. 

Meanwhile in the castle, Cassian had woken up and eaten his meal. He was on his way back to his room, book in-hand, walking without looking up when Al came 'round the corner. He was confused at the idea of Cassian reading. 

"Oi! What're ya doin' readin'?" Al asked, walking up and punching Cassian in the side.

"Fuck you. Edmond gave me this book, leave me alone," he moaned, looking back to his book. Al crumpled his face thinking of Edmond, and rushed away. He'd always made jokes about Cassian being into men, but knowing that anyone could be, he didn't know what to think about any more. 

As Al walked down the stairs, he saw a maid, and stopped to chat to her. She wasn't holding anything.

"Hey there," he said with a low eyelid. 

"Hi...," she mumbled in response. He'd moved his arm up to lean on the wall. 

"What's your name?" he asked, standing close to her.

"Uhh, Mira. You...?"

"Al. How's life treatin' ya?"

"Pretty good. You?"

"Great, I'm with you aren't I?"

"T-thanks. You're pretty nice too."

"Huh? That's it?"

"I don't know anything about you, mister."

"Whadda ya wanna know?"

"Where are you from? Down south?"

"Yeah. Yarrin. What about you? You from here?"

"No. I'm from a coastal town. You've probably never heard of it," she said, kicking the stone step that she stood on. 

"Try me," he said, thinking, "I definitely don't know."

"You heard of Lundy? It's pretty small. My dad had the only spot in the 'port'."

"Is it anywhere near Neptra?"

Neptra was the home to the largest port on the Oclar coast. It was a place that everybody knew about along with Morgate. The navy's base was set there and their biggest ships were based there.

"Hehe, no... it's north of there," Mira said, "Where's Yarrin then?"

"It's outta the way. Nowhere nearby. An old castle ruin a half hour's walk away, that's about it. Near Scarstone."

"Any siblings?"

"A brother and a sister and a... eh..."

"An eh?"

"It's complicated," Al mumbled, looking into her eyes. 

"I'd love to hear about it, though," Mira said, avoiding eye contact.

"Maybe in my room tonight? I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Oh, sorry. I have towel duty in the baths tonight. I will not be able to make it."

"I didn't give you a time."

"It's _all_ night," she sighed.

"Maybe I'll see you there?"

"You really think I am allowed to work the men's half? Jeanne keeps us women safe here. It would be dangerous for women to work in that half."

"I guess it would be."

"Yeah... maybe tomorrow?"

"Ok. I'll meet you here tomorrow morning?"

"I suppose so. I'll have the day off tomorrow anyway, so yeah. I'll meet you then."

They parted ways, and Al ate his breakfast.

Cassian sat in his room again and Edmond knocked. He walked in after Cassi answered the door. He leaned on the dresser, which moved in response so he stood back up. Cassian hadn't packed his clothes away yet.

"So, what do you think of the book so far?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

"It's great! I love it! These boys get me!" he exclaimed with a look of joy. 

"Hehe, thought so. It's good."

"I just can't get my head around this character," Cassian said, flipping the book to a page with an illustration. It was an old man in a robe.

"Him? You haven't finished the book yet have you?"

"No."

"You'll get him by the end."

"Ok, cool."

"Anyway, I wanted to ask about the training. When do you want to start?"

"How about tomorrow?"

"That's good. What type of training do you think we should start with?"

"Who's gonna be doing it?"

"Your brothers, Llewyn, and I haven't asked Betsy. There's this one girl from a different country who will be joining too."

"Who's that?"

"Oh, she's the apprentice of the Soulforge. I think she's from Barotac," he said, scratching his head. 

"Barotac? Where's that?"

"I think it's a neighbour of Freydell. She does have this really strange shield though."

"Strange?"

"It has a few different forms that it cycles through. It transforms weirdly," he said, holding his arm up as though he had a shield strapped to it. 

"Really? That sounds really cool."

In the class, Val and Llewyn had just gone through the symbolism of the wolf, when a girl opened the door and stood in it. She had caramel skin and black hair that tapered off into red tips, and had her arms crossed across her chest. 

"Hey, old man. You started without me? C'mon...," she pouted.

"You've already had this lesson," he said.

"Yeah, I wanna do better this time!"

"Uhh, who are you?" Valiant asked, craning his neck around the door which had opened in a way to block his view. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, you two're here aren't you?" she asked, walking out beyond the door. 

"Yeah. We are," Llewyn grumbled.

"Anyways, my name's Sandy! I'm the Soulforge Apprentice!" she said, bounding around the room cheerfully.

"Sandy? Hi!" Val exclaimed, holding out a hand for shaking. She looked at it confused for a moment, and slapped it giggling. Llewyn looked at her confused by that. 

"What're your names?"

"I'm Valiant," Val said, waiting for Llewyn to introduce himself, but he found the boy with his face dug into his book trying to get his drawing down well. "And this is Llewyn. He's being real rude. Dunno why when he's confronted with such a pretty girl."

"Oh, thank you," Sandy chuckled, sitting on top of his desk.

"Oh, sorry about that. I'll get another table in here soon," Aldrik said before sketching up a fox on the blackboard.

"Sneaky," Valiant said to this.

"Oh, oh! They're real smart!"

"Hmm? Tricky," Llewyn said, looking up from his sketch.

"Good, good. Now then, I suppose I oughta move onto the more difficult things. Basic syntax and laws regarding scrolls. That sound good?"

"Yeah, sure," Val said, looking around Sandy, who was sitting right in front of him. 

"Ok, so this is the _word_ 'a' when written on scrolls," Aldrik said before scribbling up a symbol that looked like a mix between a lower-case 'i' and a one. Aldrik went on, "When you're writing a scroll, you right the characters from right to left."

Aldrik went on with the lesson for hours, explaining the intricacies of the scroll-writing language, that was just called 'Scroll'. Val got it pretty well, taking notes on how to write the more complex stuff. Sandy helped out, showing the characters that Aldrik had already shown her and cracking some jokes through class. Llewyn struggled with some of it, unable to get the characters down properly.

"And, it seems pretty late. I have a counsel tonight, the three of you can go," Aldrik said, clapping his large book closed. He walked out, waving to the kids, leaving them in the stone building.

"So, what are you two gonna do?" Sandy asked, sitting on Aldrik's desk. 

"I dunno. What do you wanna do, Llew?"

"I was gonna go look around town," Llewyn replied, standing up.

"Oh cool! I can show you! I don't know as much as some people, but I can do it!"

"Yeah? Let's go, Llewyn," Val said, popping up from his chair. 

"Ok."

"Would you mind if I made a stop at the Soulforge quickly? It's dangerous for me to stay away for too long," Sandy asked, strutting toward the door. The boys followed behind her, and told her that it was fine. The guards let them out of the castle, and they walked into the town. 

Sandy's boot heels clacked on the stone path as she skipped. The boys followed behind her, Llewyn with a lot less enthusiasm than Val. She whistled and hummed and looked up at the clear sky. 

"So, how old are you, Sandy?" Val asked, following with a skip in his step.

"Uh, fifteen I believe. It's hard to remember the time before I came here," Sandy answered.

"Why's that?"

"I'm pretty sure it's a side-effect of the Soulforge. Master doesn't remember much about before he came here either. I know he had some kids."

"That sounds pretty bad. Do you ever wonder what you don't remember?"

"Well, what I do remember is pretty bad, so I try not to think about it."

"Sorry. So, Sandy is a nickname, right? It doesn't sound like a normal name," Val asked.

"Oh, yeah. My actual name is Sandia. But call me Sandy."

"Do you remember where you're from then?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm from Barotac."

"Where's that?" Llewyn cut in.

"You don't know?"

"I only know about the countries that surround us," Val said.

"Oh, well, it's east of Freydell. I lived in a port city."

"So how'd you get here?"

"My body walked me here."

"You walked all the way through Freydell up here?"

"What the fuck?"

"I didn't do it. My body did it without me."

"How does that work?"

"Well I was basically asleep for the whole time and then my body had to recover afterward."

"That sounds tough."

"It was. I was on bed-rest in this place for months," Sandy said, laying her hand on the side of the smooth stone that made up the Soulforge. She continued, "I'll be back."

She ran up to a slit in the stone that didn't glow and it opened. He didn't know why, but all of the hairs on Val's body raised and a shiver of emotions ran up his spine. 

"You alright, Val?" Llewyn asked, putting his arm on Val's shoulder. 

"Huh? Yeah," Val said, smacking himself in the face.

"You sure? That was weird," Llew inquired.

"Yeah. I'm fine. So, why are you being so fucking rude to Sandy?" Val whispered.

"Well... you know who she looks like, right?"

"Huh?"

"She looks just like _Eva_. She just has different colour skin."

"Huh? What _are_ you talking about?"

"Really? You can't see it?"

"Well, they both have... ample bosom?"

"You looked already..."

"So did you!"

"Yeah... but... I guess it doesn't make any real sense. I'll try to be better."

"Cool."

The sound of stone grinding came from where Sandy entered, and a gruff voice came from inside, "Be back before night."

"I will!" Sandy said before skipping over to the boys, "So what're you two talking about?"

"Well, this one here was bein' a weirdo," Llewyn said, pointing to Val with his thumb. He continued, "And also, I'm sorry for being so rude to you before. You look like this girl who rejected Val a couple of days ago, and I never got to figure anything out with her."

"Oh? Well I forgive you. Now tell me, who's this girl who rejected you, Valiant?"

"Her name was Eva. We were good friends, then I told her that I liked her a lot. Then I told her another thing about myself, and she ran away."

"What was that thing?"

"I don't think I should tell you yet."

"Aww."

"It's something that not even my brother knows yet. Maybe another time."

"Ok. I'm not gonna force ya!"

The three of them walked into town, and Sandy showed them a gallery of art that looked like a house on the outside. There were many paintings lining the walls. They were all beautiful and different. Some were people, some were scenes, some were battles. Many of the sculptures were of dragons. Sleeping dragons, flying dragons, swatting dragons. Val and Llewyn hadn't seen much art in their lives, though sometimes artists came through town and stayed in the Boland inn and sometimes they bought minerals from Llewyn's father. 

"So what do you think?"

"They're great!"

The woman who seemed to run this gallery approached, "You kiddos got any art you want to put in here?"

"This _is_ mine," Sandy said, pointing at a metal sculpture of a wyvern.

"Oh, wow!" Val exclaimed, gawking at the sculpture. 

"This is yours?" the lady asked, curious.

"Yeah," Sandy began, "You forgot?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I remember you now...," the lady mumbled before walking away.

"You're really talented, aren't you, Sandy?" Val asked.

"Yeah. It looks good."

"Thanks! I worked really hard on this!"

"Wait a second... is this why you brought us here?" Llewyn asked, scratching his chin.

"Hehe... hehe. Yeah, that's right. You caught me!"

"No problem with that!"

"Aww, thanks. Anyway, you two ready to go check out somewhere else?" Sandy asked, stepping closer to the door. The boys agreed and she took them to the barracks. The barracks had a few platoons staying there, waiting for something to happen around Amzu. They talked about the occasional bandit attack, but those weren't often. They saw Edmond hanging around there, sparring with some of the other guards that weren't on duty. 

They went around the town, and had some food before returning to the castle. 

"See ya! Master wouldn't want me out for too long," Sandy said, waving and walking away from Llewyn and Val. They waved her off, and talked amongst themselves. 

"So, you like her?" Llewyn asked, jabbing him in the side.

"Yeah. You ok with that?"

"Of course. I'm sorry. I just hope she's not actually like Eva."

They walked towards the dining hall. The sun was falling and they guessed that dinner would be soon. As they walked, they saw Cassian walking through the halls. His eyes were pasted to a book, and his nose was stuck in it. 

"Hey, Cassi!" Val shouted, running over to him. He didn't respond, even after Val poked him in the arm. "Hey! Hey!"

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

Val pulled the book from Cassian's face. He blinked and shook his head.

"What the-?! When did you get here, Val?"

"I got here a couple of seconds ago. You just didn't hear me because you were so interested in this _book_! What is it?"

"Uhh, I dunno the title. _The Plight of Gioele and Lorenz_ ," he said, flipping to the beginning of the book. 

"Wait. I know that book!"

"Yeah, Ky loves it!" Llewyn exclaimed. Cassian dog-eared the page and closed the book. He puffed his chest proudly from the slouch he'd had while reading. 

"I see. He's a boy of taste, then!" Cassian proclaimed, pushing the book into the side of his pants. Cassian joined the boys as they walked to the dining hall. As they walked, Llewyn and Val quizzed each other on the symbology that they'd learned in the day. 

When they made it to the dining hall, it was empty. Not a soul. The maids were not present. Llewyn was very hungry once more, and wandered, trying to find the kitchen. When he found it, he saw some women and a man slaving over the flames of cooking. They kicked him out almost immediately, shouting, "It'll be done after the meeting!" 

Llewyn walked back and found that Alphonse had joined the group in the dining hall, and was running around with Cassian's book. He told them about the meeting and that they shouldn't wait around until after Aldrik was out. 

"So, what're we gonna do until they're done?" Val asked, mainly to himself. 

"Help me get my book back!" Cassian exclaimed, reaching over one of the large banquet tables, opposite Al.

"Haha! Help me keep the book!" Al shouted at the boys who stood at the main table at the front as he darted towards them. Cassian pursued along the table, lagging behind slightly.

"Just give it back! I wanna read!"

"You're a reader now, huh? That's new!" Al said, continuing towards the main table. 

"Shut up! It's a good book!"

"Good book? Never heard'a one of those!"

"You deaf, Al? I've told you about them before," Val chimed in. 

"Shut up!"

"Wow, you're really makin' a good case, Al," Llewyn joked, sitting in one of the chairs. 

"Thanks! Wait...," he said, pondering on what he'd said. 

"Al, you're an idiot!" Cassian laughed as he followed.

"I _graduated_ ,"

"And? You met the bare standards. Even I did better than you!"

"Shut up!"

"Yeah, where were you in the rankings for your class anyway?"

"I ain't tellin' you!"

"C'mon," Cassian whined. 

"Shut the fuck up! Leave me alone!" Al said, plopping the book onto the table with a dishevelled look. He began to walk back to the door. His brothers tried calling him back, but that didn't work. As he reached the door, it cracked open. Then, with a burst, it swung open. Ed, Jeanne, Aldrik, and Gabe were stood in the door. 

"How're things going in here?" Alrdik asked with a booming voice.

"Alphonzo? Are you alright?" Gabe asked, clearly worried. 

"I guess so. Food'll be here soon."

The group went to the table at the end, where Llewyn was already sitting and joined him. While they waited for the food, some of the people that Aldrik had had his meeting with came and joined them. 

"Hi, I'm Ecin. I'm from Morgate. I measure statistics on this region."

"Hello, I'm Ewin, from Morgate too. I bring news from the capital to this region."

And several more people introduced themselves. From Morgate, most of them.

"I'm Eldoris! I'm a sailor!" one of them exclaimed, leaving the greetings and niceties for later. He was a buff, burly man with arms like anchors. He had long, black hair, tied up into a ponytail that looked as though it had braids that were recently removed.

"And what's a sailor doing all the way out here?" Cassian asked after Eldoris had sat next to him. 

"I wanted to see this country of ours. The sea's great 'n all, but sometimes it feels pretty lonely," he said. He flashed some pretty, green eyes, and looked to his plate. 

"On the sea...," Cassian thought to himself. He had the picture of being surrounded by large men who longed for the touch of someone- anyone. That was a fantasy he'd had from the minutes since he realised who he was. 

"Though... I suppose all the _women_ aboard the ship make it feel a little more friendly...," Eldoris continued with food spilling out of his mouth. It wasn't much food, but it was there. 

Cassian's face fell. But then he thought of the way he said women. Like he was over it. Like he didn't like the idea of it. 

"So, you look quite young for someone to be out on the sea all the time. And fed up with it already?"

"I'm not fed up with the sea. Just like a break every now and then. Anyway, in Neptra, most of the boys go straight from school to the sea," he said, scratching his head, "I've been out there for three years you know?"

"Three years, right out of school... you're seventeen?"

"Yeah, better at math than me. What about you? Bet you're, like, nineteen, right?"

"Nah, same as you!" 

"Really?"

"Yeah. So, what's it like taking down a leviathan?"

"Take down? Haha! That's funny!" he laughed. It was a deep, hearty laugh, "I have a pet leviathan!"

"A what?"

"Well, it's not really _mine_ , my whole original crew and I tamed it. When we were told to kill it, none of us could handle that. So we tamed it. We gave it food, day after day after day. And now it's like a guard dog at my dock." 

"You have your own _dock_?"

"Yeah... it's nothing really," he said, his eyes darting around. 

"Is it a big one, or...?" Cassian asked. He was freaking out inside. That was way too close to talking about sex right there!

"Oh, well, I have one boat there. I could probably get another one on there."

After the dinner, Cassian and Eldoris found themselves entangled in each other on Cassian's bed. This had happened without words or comment. They hadn't kissed, or touched where it may be uncomfortable. They were dressed, fully. Cassian could feel his heart pumping and swore he could hear Eldoris'. Cassian's leg was on top of Eldoris'. Cassian kept justifying it by thinking about how it was cold and dark outside. He loved this feeling. Being close to someone. He'd done something like this with girls around town. Eldoris had taken his hair down when he was on his way to the room. 

"Y'know, women are overrated," Eldoris sighed, green eyes piercing into Cassian's. Cassian's heart nearly stopped. He knew his face would be glowing like a sun. He didn't hide it.

"They have their merits. They're fun," Cassian said as an attempt at hiding his feelings at this moment and showing himself. 

"Yeah... but are they?"

"I think so. I'm not with a woman, but I would be- actually, I'd also be with a man," Cassian admitted, tired of the game. Eldoris lit up. Cassian lit up at this. He was looking into the emerald eyes when he felt a rough hand stroking softly through his hair. He couldn't help smiling as he leaned his head in closer to the other boy's face. 

"You wanna...?" Eldoris whispered. Cassian took action and kissed him. 

For that night, they laid each other. Cassian tried being on top first, liked it. Then Eldoris took a try. The pair of them finished all of each other, almost at the same time. They threw on some of Cassian's clothes and in the dead of the night, ran to somewhere they could clean up. They did so, hiding in a linen closet, when one of the maids walked by. They made sure to stay silent as she passed, and when she was gone, they couldn't help but laugh their sore asses off. They ran back to Cassian's room, and tried to sleep. 

They giggled as they kept meeting each other's glares. Eldoris plunged into sleep first after giving Cassi a kiss on the forehead. That made him happy. And he sunk down into a soft slumber. The smell of both of their sweat intermingled smelled sweet to him, and brought him down. 

When he woke up, Cassian saw that Eldoris had disappeared. He was sad. He saw that the door was still cracked open a tiny bit, and knew that he must have left in a hurry. He closed his eyes again and saw Eldoris - he said that he liked to be called El while they were in the bed. Then his eyes lit up with glee as he saw the crack in the door open wider. He felt like the sun again. El walked in with a silver tray in his hand. 

"Oh, you're awake. Sorry 'bout that," El began, "I was making you some protein food. You said something about physical training today, right?"

"...Yeah. Thanks," Cassi said, pausing for a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassian. And. El.


	10. Arch of Brandon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassian and Eldoris have a day together. Val, Llewyn, Betsy, and Al go to training class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly about Cassian. Establishing him.

El sat on the edge of the bed and handed Cassian his plate. Cassian's eyes opened wide. Eggs on bread, some sort of meat and a pile of nuts. "Hehe, nuts...," Cassi thought to himself, "Lots of those last night..."

Cassi was giggling to himself, and Eldoris smiled at him. He didn't really know what he was laughing about, but he thought it was cute. Cassian looked at El and noticed that he was merely wearing a towel around his waist. He had a quick thought and let out a faster sigh, trying to get it out of his mind. Now, it was time to eat, not to fuck. El laid back on the bed and loosened the knot around his towel. His bare pec was right there, and Cassian couldn't help but lightly stroke it - the dark, black curls of hair were beautiful to him. The way his pecs abs were so defined. He was hard.

"Naughty little boy," El giggled as he noticed. He didn't particularly like being called that, he liked to feel big and strong and he liked being with someone big and strong. Though, he also liked being around someone he could be there to comfort. He didn't like feeling small, but he didn't mention it, moving to eating. He took a shot at the egg, and then the bread. He finished those, then ate the nuts. As he was doing so, El stole some away from his plate and fed them to him by hand. 

A knock came from the door before it started to crack open again. Cassian shouted, "Indecent!" before anyone would be able to see El. He sighed, and plucked his clothes from the floor. He only put on his pants. The door opened. It was Ed. He saw Cassian on the bed with a plate near exactly the same as the one he had in his hand. He was confused. He cracked the door further. And there he was. A big, burly boy with long hair in the room with Cassian. Just pants... and they were indecent...

Edmond's mood fell instantly. "I see you have eaten, then... and this is...?" he asked, masking his sadness. 

"Oh, I'm Eldoris," he answered for himself. He reached out his hand for a handshake.

"So... I assume the two of you are together?" 

"Huh, well we had sex last night," El said, throwing his hair over his shoulder to run a comb through. 

"Yeah, I don't know about _together_. I've never really _been_ with anyone before, anyway," Cassian said, sitting up in his bed. 

"Wait, really?" El asked.

"Yeah. I've had sex plenty with women, but never had a real relationship with them. You were my first man...," Cassian said, looking under his lids at the boy as he slid into a tight, black shirt. 

"This sounds more like a conversation between the two of you," Edmond said, "Cass, be in the courtyard in the hour."

Edmond walked out the door, wallowing and beating himself up. He was a full-grown man. He shouldn't care about the sex life of a seventeen year-old. Sure, he was cute, and he'd be an adult soon, but he wasn't! Not yet! And he couldn't realistically expect Cassian wait for his birthday. They barely knew each other. He felt creepy too. Just lying in wait for a minor to come of age. He arrived in the courtyard, which was empty, save for a maid shirking her duties. He wasn't going to yell at her or anything. He was too stuck in his head, either way. That let him move dummies and the like around with ease as he wasn't thinking about it. He was already sweating by the time Val had made it down to him. 

"You alright, Ed?" Val asked, standing a few metres away. The look on his face was scary - a scowl. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah...," Ed said, punching the dummy that he had just moved to test how strong it was. He felt it nearly tear. 

"Ok. You want any help?" 

"Actually, no. I think I _might've_ overdone it anyway," Edmond said, turning around to look out at the field of dummies he'd made. 

"Llewyn's gonna be here? Don't think so," Val commented.

"What?" Ed asked, with a new, tired look on his face. 

"He destroys dummies like they're nothing. Our school spent _too much_ on dummies because of him."

"I suppose I'll need your help then."

Val and Edmond dragged more and more dummies out of the shed until the courtyard was near full of them. Betsy walked out, and weaved her way through the dummies to meet them. She knew exactly what this was. She'd had to make dummies and practice materials for Llewyn what seemed thousands of times before. 

"So, you're prepared for Llew then," Betsy said, punching one of the dummies in the way that Jeanne had taught her. 

"Yep!" Sandy ran into the courtyard, panting already. She found her way through the endless dummies stood up on poles. 

"Why are you already so tired, Sandy?" Ed asked.

"Working... all night... tiring work...," she said.

"You're training too?" Val asked. He thought she would have brought something like that up.

"Oh... yeah," she panted, "Need to be strong in there..."

"You really got this tired from working in there?" Val asked, approaching. He had a longing to support her so that she wouldn't fall. That looked like it was bound to happen. She looked haggard, but she could keep herself up. 

"Oh, it's only when it's too long," she sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. 

"Too long? You're talkin' about me?" Al asked as he walked along the heads of the dummies carefully.

"I... don't know you, so no."

"Oh, well you will," Al said, hopping down and taking her hand with aggression. He was about to lay a kiss on it when Sandy pulled her hand away. 

"This really isn't a good introduction," she sighed. 

"So, Sandy? You didn't bring that shield of yours today?" Edmond asked.

"Fuck. Forgot it."

"It's alright. You look out of it."

"So do you," she began, "Some boy reject you again?"

"Hmm? No. And I don't know what you mean by 'again'."

"I _mean_ all those times you tried to move in on men. Then they say they're 'not like that'. Jeanne tells me about that kind of stuff," Sandy said, leaning her back on the stone wall of a shed. 

"Well nothing is wrong with me," Ed said.

As Edmond spoke, Cassian and Llewyn walked into the courtyard. Ed quickly rushed the group into starting the training. Stretches. When they were done stretching, Ed had a sparring match with each of them to see how they each fought. He easily threw Llewyn over his shoulder. Val got in a few hits, but was pinned down. Cassian was taken down instantly, and thrown away like a ragdoll. Al dodged a punch and got up behind Ed, but he was tripped by Ed's sweeping leg. Al was pinned in an instant once he was on the ground. Betsy blocked a punch, but noticed that it was lighter than it should have been. She expected this. She took out one leg, but he balanced, and kicked her in the stomach. 

They all sat with Sandy and tried to recover. 

"Didn't think you were a gorilla," Cassian commented. Ed felt like he was snapping. But he didn't say anything.

"Ok. Who thinks they could take me down as a team?" Ed asked.

Val looked at Llewyn. He didn't seem like he was very tired given that he was taken out in an instant. Al had already stood up, and gotten into a boxing stance. "Val. C'mon, bro," he said. 

"I guess so," Val said. He stood up and joined his brother.

"You really think this is fair, guys?" Betsy asked. 

"I can take them," Ed said, pushing hair from his face. Cassian shot a glance up and had to pull his eyes away from the man with messy hair and sweat dripping from his face. He was scared of the look on his face. It was like he wanted to be hurt and wanted to hurt. Like he had a deeper hurt. Cassian wanted to get up and hug him for some reason. They hadn't even known each other for very long and he wanted to comfort him already. 

Al went in for a fake swing to get himself behind Ed, but his arm was caught. Val knew exactly what to do from there. He jabbed his hand into Ed's armpit, which made him let go and stiffen his arm. Ed tried sweeping at Al again. But he jumped over it. Val kicked at his other foot, which sent him flying backward. Ed was on the ground, so Al leapt on top of him to try to keep him down. Al had Ed's hands pinned down, and with little struggle, he was thrown. Val tried to pull him down, but fell to the ground. Val and Al went about trying to get him down for quite a while, and ended up grappling to each of his legs when they had essentially given up. 

"You're strong," Al said. Right before he got an idea. He shouted, "Val, move!"

Val moved his head and delivered a swift and powerful chop to the back of his knee, which sent his ass plummeting downward. It landed on Val's shoulder and he pulled him down in only a few seconds. His head hit the ground, and his feet fell out from under him. Val quickly rushed to hold down his arms, and Al sat on his chest. 

"Lord, I wish I were there," Cassian thought about where Al was. 

"Good job, boys!"

Al had a passing thought about if Ed liked this. Him being on top of him. The thought repulsed him, but he didn't get up. He wanted to win. Always. He had sometimes been called 'Always' as a kid. Because of his name, but also because of his constancy. He was always angry, and always _had_ to win.

Val got up and reached a hand down for Ed. Ed grabbed him, and tried to lift himself up, but Al was still atop him. He pushed Al off with ease now that his hands were free. When he got up, he looked at the group of kids around him, and said, "Ten minute rest. Get a drink or something."

The kids all went to get drinks... but they didn't know where to go. 

"Is there a trough? A bucket?"

Al ran back and asked Ed. Sandy hadn't joined them. She had fallen asleep on that wall. He guided them to the faucet, and got them their drinks ready. Cassian patted Al on the back, congratulating him on taking down Ed. "You did good, Al," he said.

"Thanks, you did terrible!"

"Ok, bud. Just insult me when I compliment you," Cassian sighed. As they stood around the hallway, El approached. He beamed when he saw Cassian. Cassi jumped as he saw El coming towards him. He ran over to him, and guided him away. He whispered, "That's my brother. He doesn't _know_ yet."

"Well, nobody really _knows_ about me either. I was just gonna talk."

"Who's that, Cassi? Your _boyfriend_?"

"Sounds like he knows to me," El said, patting Cassian on the back.

"He says that kind of thing to try and make fun of me," Cassi sighed, putting his arm around El's back. Al continued to shout about the two of them being together.

"I don't get that back home. Because I keep it hidden, and the men I sleep with usually want to keep it hidden from their wives."

"You sleep with married men?"

"Oh, yes. They don't get what they really, truly want with their wives. They've said, they'd experimented, but still... they don't get what I can give to them."

"You really helped those men, then," Cassian said. He wanted to move his hand down to hold El's ass, but he was still in view of the others. 

"Anyway, I actually wanted to tell you something," El began, pausing for Cassian to nod or something. He had a different tone. He continued, "I'm leaving tomorrow. This group was only going to be here for a few days. I'll be headed back to Neptra."

"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. Did you get to see much around here?" he said, with a saddened tone. 

"No. Not really," El said. "Would you like to show me around?"

"Well, I have training, but that would be fun."

"You don't have to go to training do you? Is there an event coming up?"

"I don't think so."

"Couldn't you ask that man to let you go?" El whined, rubbing his shoulder against Cassian's.

"I could ask him. I don't really know if he'll say yes."

"Well, play it up!"

"What?"

"Make it a big thing that I'm leaving!"

"I guess I could do that."

Cassian burst back into the courtyard, flopping about dramatically. Sobbing.

"Cassian, what's wrong?" Val asked, rushing over to Cassian's side. 

"Oh... dear me. My new friend, Eldoris is returning to his home of Neptra. And he has hardly seen anything around," Cassian whined, using Val to prop himself up.

"Well we aren't done, are we?"

"But, Ed... please! We just want to go look outside the city. Anyway, I'm twice as strong as Al," Cassian said.

"As if!"

"Cassian, I'm going to need you to do this solo tomorrow if you go," Ed said grumpily. 

"Yeah, sure!"

Ed didn't like how readily he agreed to that. He thought there would have been at least a little fighting back. Cassian ran out of the courtyard and into the hall, where El waited, giggling to himself. The pair of them dashed out of possible ear-shot. They began giggling amongst themselves again, and Eldoris asked,

"Wanna fuck first?" 

Cassian did. He really did. And he did. They rushed up to his room, and had a fun time, just like they had the night before. Top then bottom, kissing then clean up. They weren't stopped by maids this time. 

"You're good," El panted, pulling his white shirt over his broad shoulders. 

"Thanks. You too," Cassian said, wiping beading sweat away from his brow. 

After they dressed themselves, Cassian took El outside of the castle. They went into the city for a little while, but El had already seen that.

"I was thinking we could go out and see the nature around. I don't get to see that a whole lot," El said. He was bored of stone surroundings and the ocean life - though he could never leave the ocean behind. It was his true love.

Cassian agreed and the pair of them went to the gates. There were a pair of men stood guard there, chatting amongst themselves. El's first instinct was to look them both up and down. 

"What do you two want?"

"To... leave?"

"Huh, when will you be back?"

"Before sundown. Promise," Cassian said.

"You?"

"Yeah. I promise. What do you fuckin' expect?"

The guards let them through, and they ran out into the green field, laughing. Cassian looked around and saw a forest closer to the mountains. They were beautiful. The mountains that marked the border of Oclar. There was a mysterious light that stayed there, marked by the power of the Grand Dragon. These lines marked the borders of every country. Before Oclar was occupied, people refused to cross some of those lines if they were not born within them. They believed that demons lived across them. 

" _This_ is what I wanted," Eldoris laughed, falling down into the grass. "So soft."

"That's not what you were saying twenty minutes ago."

"Shut up!"

"Anyway, wanna go look in the forests?"

"At the base of mountains? Yeah, sure," he said, continuing to laugh feeling the grass tickling his skin. 

After a while sitting there, just laughing and chatting, they got up and walked to the forest's green canopy that was overshadowed by the mountains. Holding hands.

When they got there, El looked up at the canopy filled with the small birds flitting through the leaves. He heard the distant calls of foxes and wolves. And a strange, very distant, faint clanging sound. He saw the flowers, red and blue and yellow, and white. He saw the light shining through the leaves. He was seeing the beauty and couldn't stop laughing. 

"What's so funny?"

"Haha, nothing! It's just so pretty! And so different," Eldoris laughed. 

"This is what it's like where I come from!"

"Really? Lucky-ass!" he said, "Cute ass!"

"Shut up!"

The pair of them kept walking through the forest. Cassian and El came upon an Archwolfe - a large, peaceful wolf-like creature that was much more vicious before Oclar was colonised. They played with it for a while before it ran off to follow a howl. It was said in the stories that one Archwolfe could parent a whole pack of regular wolves. Archwolves were a sort of mythical figure everywhere but Oclar, where some towns kept them as collective pets. "I love those crazy things!" El shouted as it ran away.

They kept going, and they came across a chasm. A bridge reached across it. The pair of them could see a colony of bats flying down deep in there. On the other side, they could see a pair of trees arched into a heart shape. The grass was green - so green. The flowers were vibrant- too vibrant. The smell that wafted over smelled sweet - super sweet. 

"Let's?"

"Yeah," El said. 

They walked across the wooden bridge. El almost fell, but Cassian saved him.

"My hero!" he joked. 

When they finished crossing, Eldoris ran in between the two trees. He ran his hand across the bark of one of them. Cassian ran behind him, and jumped onto him. He wrapped his legs around Eldoris, and held himself up with his neck. 

"Hehe! Isn't this place so romantic?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, what's that over there?" Cassian asked. He pointed at a large tome on a stone lectern. It was covered in vines and brambles and moss. The pair of them cleaned it off. Somehow the writing was perfectly legible still. 

It read, "Two souls meet beneath the arch of Brandon. Joined together for life and beyond. This curse will not break outside the hour of its start. Shall not break save for should one soul cause emotional harm to the other."

"W-what?" El exclaimed as he finished reading. 

"Joined for life? **And** beyond?"

"No way! This can't be real!"

"Fuck!"

"Shall we?"

"What? No! We have to do something! What's your problem?"

"Well, I told you! I don't get fucked by a lot of men while I'm out on the sea! And I wish I was! Oh, how much I wish they would fuck me!"

"Well, now's not the time, El! Help me find another way to get out of this!"

"Is it really that bad? Can't you just come to sea with me?"

"No! I have my brothers! And my mum!"

"Your mum's here?"

"Well. No..."

"Then you can live without your brothers."

"I don't want to! I already lost one! And two sisters!"

"Wait, what?" El asked, calming down and growing concern. 

"And both my parents! Shit! I shouldn't have said that," Cassian squealed through a cracking voice, crouching with his face in his hands. He began to cry. El moved towards him and put his hand on Cassian's back.

"Hey, what happened to you having your mum?"

"She's dead. My Dad's dead. They're all dead! I... I meant my new mum. With Valiant and Alphonzo. Cathy. Mrs Boland. My mum. My family."

"Do you... wanna talk about it?" El asked, crouching down to join Cassi. He took Cassian by the chin and tried to point it up, but he wouldn't let it. 

"I was at home one day. We had Mr Boland over- my new Dad. Garson. My sisters were fawning over him. I guess they always... thought he was handsome. My brother was in the yard, playing by himself. I was sitting with my parents and talking. Val... he was so young. Garson had him in his arms. Then something, something. I don't know what actually lead up to it, but my brother Kory ran in screaming about a fire. And it took the house before mum and dad or Kory... or my sisters got out. I miss them so much! But I would have died without Garson being there. Just... I don't want to leave my brothers ever. I love them both. It doesn't matter how much Al and I fight... or if he accepts me. Just that I can be there. If I ever lost either of them I don't know what I would do! I'd die!"

"I get it. I haven't quite lost like you... but if I ever lost my crew... or Levi, I _know_ I'd feel shit. Worse than shit! Like, the Grand Dragon of shits. And... it was so much."

"Yeah. It was a long time ago. Been a really long time since I've cried about it," he sighed, trying to stop himself. 

Cassian let El pull his tear-covered face up to look at him. Eldoris hated himself for what he was about to say. He knew how to break it. And he didn't want to. But he knew he had to. He almost started to cry just thinking about it. 

"Anyways... you're a little bitch! Crying over the past like that! See ya, loser!" he said. He tried to keep a steady strut as he approached the bridge again, but wavered a couple of times. He felt the cold tears welling up in his eyes. They stung as they touched his skin. As soon as he crossed the bridge, he ran away to cry behind a tree.

Cassian was shocked. He let out a loud wail of desperation, "Fuck!" 

He returned to crying and lay on the grass punching the ground beneath him. How could he do this? How? He just opened up and then... he just... just... called him a bitch? How? How? How could he do that with such little effort. How could he just make fun of someone crying about losing their family?

It took hours, but Cassian eventually calmed down and saw that the sun was setting soon. He knew that he would be in trouble if he was late, so he got up and started to make his way back. He crossed the bridge and then he saw an Archwolfe sitting by a tree. He heard a muffled sound coming from it. 

"Is it hurt?"

He approached slowly and cautiously. Archwolves were known to return to their vicious roots when they were in pain. He laid a hand on its back. It turned its head and looked into his eyes- his soul. The muffled sound was coming from its chest. 

"You alright, boy?" he asked, running his hands through the fur as he got closer. It was thick fur. He got to the front leg, and crouched down to look at its paw. Nothing was sticking out from it. He tried poking it, no reaction. Then he looked up and realised the sound wasn’t coming from the Archwolfe, but a man with his head stuck in its chest. The white shirt. He knew it was El. “What’re you still doing here?”

El pulled his face from the Archwolfe and looked at Cassi. He’d been crying for longer than he had. Cassian didn’t understand. Why was he crying? He just made fun of him for crying. He noticed that El’s hair had come undone. It was everywhere. El wiped his face of tears and stood his ground. 

“What I said to you... do you really think I meant it? I was just- just trying to break that stupid curse! Of course you’d cry about that! Who wouldn’t? I’m so sorry!” El cried, holding onto the Archwolfe’s fur tight. 

"...Really? But... you fuck!"

"...Not now," El said, putting his hand on Cassian's. 

"Yeah?" Cassian cried, pulling El into a tight hug. 

"I'm gonna miss you. Even if we have only known each other for a day," El cried. 

"I'll miss you too!"

The two of them didn't stay like this for long, they both knew that they had to get back. When they got back to Amzu, the guards, let them in with a little jeering. Val, Al, Betsy, Llewyn, and Sandy all stood in the castle entrance, chatting. 

"So, you fought those magic cats?" Sandy asked.

"Yeah, Aldrik helped," Val answered. 

"Really? Well, you're gonna know magic soon, right? That sounds fun!"

"Yeah! But I dunno what we're gonna be doing. We haven't really done much," Val explained. 

"Hey, guys! This is Eldoris," Cassian said, pointing to El. He continued, "He lives in Neptra."

"Neptra? Isn't that place super beautiful?" Betsy asked, thinking about the glimmering of the great sea - something she had never seen, so her vision was slightly unrealistic. Dolphins jumped every second in her image.

"Yeah. It really is. Wish I were in more often."

"That's sad, where are you normally?" 

"On the high sea."

"A pirate? But you seem so official."

"Pirate? Haha! No, I'm a navy sailor," he laughed. 

"Oh, really?"

The group chatted with Eldoris, and he explained what the sea was really like. Often flat, empty, and boring. But when it was there, it was there. The wind, the beasts, the battles with pirates. He loved that part of the sea. When they finished talking, it was already night, they had gone through the day, talking about life in a different part of the country - most of them had not seen beyond their town. They all pretty much fell in love with him, and he didn't even tell them about his sex life - something he was actually quite proud of. The group gave him so much attention and he liked it. He saw something in Betsy that he didn't see in many women, and noticed a few glances from Val that lasted too long. When he went to his temporary quarters, he longed for someone by his side - Cassian. But he didn't think Cassian would want him going there at that moment. They had had sex two times already, in less than a day, so he went to sleep, feeling empty. That was one of the few reasons he liked women - they let him feel less empty, they could be fun sometimes, and they knew how to handle themselves.


	11. Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long wait, unfortunately. But I hope this chapter is fun.

Alphonzo stood in his room. He was alone, moonlight poured in the window. He had a torch lit in the corner of the room and he was wearing naught but a loose-fitting pair of boxers. He wanted to show off his body, but didn't want to be too confronting. He was waiting for Mira. He wasn't exactly sure about what the nature of their meeting was to be, but from his experience, meeting a woman in a bedroom meant that they'd get pretty far - especially in a big city, and after his first time he thought it was going to start coming even easier. He had, on several occasions, taken one of the spare rooms at the inn, and used it. Val lived above him, and Duni wasn't that far away. He definitely didn't want Duni to hear anything or see anything. Obviously, though, he had been walked in on by his mum every time, before he could make it the whole way. She was in charge of most of the upkeep on the inn. She ignored it and didn't talk about it with him.

A light knock came from the door. It was her. She was there. He said, "Come in," in what he tried to make his deepest, most sultry voice possible. It didn't work, and ended up cracking in the middle. She opened the door, giving him a look of confusion. 

"What was that?" Mira asked, walking closer. She was wearing a summer dress, different to her uniform that she'd met Al in. It was cute. White with yellow fading from it at the bottom. 

"Whadda ya mean?"

"So informal," she giggled. He sighed, and walked closer. She saw what he was wearing and let out a peep, "I thought we might go out."

"Oh! Yeah, sure. Just... let me get dressed," Al squeaked, a blush crossing his face. He got himself dressed. Mira hadn't spoken while he did this. It was an awkward, silent ten seconds. He found a singlet and pulled it onto himself. He slipped into some pants. Mira mentioned that it was chilly, so he grabbed a coat. 

They found themselves out in the town. Al could feel the cold wind stinging against his face. Stone under his boot, he could tell it was damp. He guessed that it had rained. He didn't think it would have based on the weather earlier in the day. He thought back to when they were training, and he figured out how to get Edmond down. 

Mira grabbed a hold of Al's hand. She'd noticed that he had a proud grin painted on his face. It seemed to suit him. She figured he wore that often. She could see partly why. 

"So, I know this nice restaurant. Shall we head there?" Mira asked, pulling at the boy's hand. 

"I don't have much money," Al sighed, "Any, actually."

"I can pay. I have plenty."

"I dunno if I should let that happen," Al said. He wanted to pay.

"It's fine," she began, "We get paid handsomely in the castle."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes."

When the pair arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted by a jolly man. He had a beard the reached near the ground, and a broad arm with a massive burn scar. He showed them to their table and left them with menus. They sat in an air of awkwardness as they read the poorly hand-printed entries on the menu. Ancuskan chicken, Gleyca-style beef, and Esten sausage were just some of the entries. Mira decided on the Ancuskan chicken with an assorted salad, and Al chose the Esten sausage meal - three sausages prepared exactly as they would be if they were in Esten, alongside sauce he'd never seen before and a small collection of vegetables. 

Al and Mira finished their meals, and she guided him out. She took him to a patch of empty grass and they laid under the sky of stars. 

"So then. We were going to talk about your 'eh'?"

"Oh, you mean Cassian. Hate that dude. But he's my brother, kinda."

"Why do you hate him? What's wrong with him?"

"I dunno. I'm... always angry, I guess. And he's not, and I guess that made me angry. He always got so much attention from mum, too. It was pretty annoying."

"So, why is he an 'eh'? Different dad?"

"And mum," Al said, "He's adopted. His family died, so we took him in."

"Oh... poor boy. Did he have siblings?"

"Uh... yeah. A brother and some sisters I think," Al said, scratching his head as he sat on the grass.

"Anyway, that's a bit of a depressing story. Why don't I tell you about my life?"

"Yeah? How did you end up here? You grew up on the coast, didn't you?" 

"I met Aldrik's son a while ago. He was wandering the coast. We dated a little and I followed him as he went around. I always thought I'd end up in Neptra as a kid, but now I'm on the other side of the country. Anyway, we split up, but Aldrik let me keep working in the castle. He's really kind," Mira explained, looking to the sky. She wouldn't admit it, but she saw a little bit of Aldrik's son - Ryder - in Al. 

"That guy has kids? He does look like a grandpa, I guess," Al said, looking up to the stars. 

"He is. His eldest has ten. Crowded place she has," Mira explained, finding a flower in the grass and plucking it. She played with the flower in her hand, and put it in front of her face.

"Gee, that sounds like a handful. Oh, lord!"

"Yeah, they're all out of home by now I think," Mira explained, "Her middle is a little older than me. You know wizard ladies get longer lives? And they can have babies for longer?"

"Wait, do all wizards live for longer?"

"Yeah. Aldrik's one hundred this year," Mira explained, "He's got roughly twenty more years left. If he doesn't get himself killed by then."

"So Val's gonna live that long..."

"Val?"

"My brother- Valiant."

"So I know your brothers' names. What about your sister?"

"Duni? She's great. But it can get a little annoying to be around her. She's so young. I can't talk my true mind around her. No swearing. No talking about my hunting. No talking about women," Al sighed, "But she's cute and surprisingly strong. And luckily she doesn't have my temper. Guess it wasn't from mum or dad."

"Temper? I haven't seen that. And you haven't sworn around me."

"You're so pretty, and I didn't wanna scare you off," Al muttered. 

"You haven't yet. You did eat a bit strangely at dinner, but that's about it."

"That's good...," Al sighed, "And you haven't scared me."

"How would I have?"

"I dunno. You coulda been like that Jeanne lady."

"Jeanne's not scary! She's just different. She's really welcoming to everyone!" 

"She didn't look real happy with me."

"No, no! She's judgy, sure, but she doesn't really care about that stuff."

"I felt like there was **ice** coming off her when I first met her!"

"You didn't understand! She just gives off that aura all that time. You should see her around the children. They all start out scared, but she flashes that beautiful smile and..."

"I've seen her smile, but she does it that often?"

"Yeah! All the time! It just doesn't look like she would. And it really does a lot. How do you think Gabe fell in love with her?"

"I thought it was 'cause she's big and got all them muscles!"

"No, it's cause she's so kind! Those muscles probably helped."

The pair of them went on talking for a while, before they returned to the castle. They talked about life in Amzu, and outside. They talked about how they thought it was outside of Oclar. They were miraculously wrong about everything. Mira left Al with a peck on the cheek, and went to her quarters. It was late at night, and they slept. 

Betsy woke up in the morning, engulfed in the loving embrace of the great bed she had now. She felt warm and comfy. It was nice, and she didn't want to get up. She thought about whether or not there was any reason to get up yet. She really wanted to stay there, but her body wouldn't let her for too long, so she decided she'd do it anyway. 

Her room was on the first floor, and in the middle of the castle, so there weren't any windows. It felt something of a dungeon. She felt it was nice, but lacked the feeling that made it home. She had candles littered around. 

She wasn't sure what to do now. She was out of the bed, maybe she could go out to the town. She hadn't really left since that first day, and thought it would be nice to meet some of the people. They all seemed nice. 

Betsy dressed herself in mostly orange, like she usually wore. As she left, she saw a pair of maids walking down the hall together. They seemed like they were having a lively chat as they carried piles of clothes for cleaning. She walked down the hall and tied her hair into a ponytail.

She reached the entrance hall, which was filled with light that filtered through the windows atop the doors that reached toward the sky. She saw that there was a group of people standing and having a conversation. They were all wearing a similar outfit - reds and blacks. There were dresses mixed in with the jumpsuits and they all danced around the group. She saw the faces of women blushing and proud flitting in and out of her vision. They were spinning as they moved from man to man. One of the women broke from the group and span towards Betsy like she had been moving. She took her by the hands and asked,

"Would you like to join us?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"You could join our troupe! You're pretty! And you wouldn't have to be cooped up in this place!"

"Cooped up? What _are_ you thinking? Have you looked up?"

"Hmm? But the sky is so much higher! Reach for it! And never stop reaching!" the woman exclaimed, jumping as high as she could. 

"Wh- ok. Anyway, what does your troupe do?"

"We started out as dancers! But we all know how to fight and now we're kind of mercenaries. We work for the lords of castles. You know, the wizards and lords?"

"What do they need mercenaries for?"

"Who knows? With all those guards? They just decide that we get jobs and send us out there."

"I don't think I'd really fit in with mercenaries... and besides, I have to look after my little brother," Betsy mumbled. 

"Oh, you really can't? That's disappointing. We could always use another woman. Sometimes we need to stand up for each other," the lady said, clearly downcast now. She went back and joined in the dancing again, bumping into some of the girls around her. The men noticed how they had slowed their dance, and began theirs. It seemed that they were dedicated to preserving the illusion of a dance. 

Betsy walked past them, and opened the doors. She was promptly stopped.

"Halt! Who are you?" she heard from both sides. The guards were looking straight at her in clear daylight, but waited for an answer. 

"My... name is Betsy?"

"And who shall be escorting you?" the guard on the left asked. Betsy was confused. She was merely going out by herself, why would she need an escort?

"No one," she answered, looking at him and scowling. Even her father allowed her to leave the house if she wanted to. 

"Then return," the guard said. 

"No."

"Sorry, little girly, but women aren't just allowed to come and go. If we had allowed that, do you think Sir Aldrik's daughter would have survived to this day?"

"She still got in trouble all the time," the other guard commented.

"Shut it! These are just rules that have been set!"

"So... I'm not allowed to leave by myself?"

"No."

"Sorry, lady. Even the maids aren't allowed to leave by themselves. Aldrik set up some sort of system for his daughter back in the day, though."

"System?"

"You'll have to ask him yourself," the more sympathetic guard said. 

Betsy looked at the cobbled stones below her, and turned back around. As she was about to reenter the castle, she heard a woman's voice and heels tapping hard against the road. She wasn't sure what this woman was trying to say, but in the second that she had acknowledged it, she felt a hand on her shoulder. That hand moved down her arm to her hand. She could feel smooth, cold skin, and the way it tickled her as it skimmed her made her giggle. 

"I'll be your escort! Poor girl...," the voice said. Betsy looked up to the source of this voice. It was a girl with wide eyes and a bushy ponytail. She had dark skin that looked remarkably smooth. Betsy noticed the smile on her lips and couldn't help imitating. 

"Thank you!" she said after a few seconds of admiration. She noticed that she had taken a while to talk and felt her muscles tightening as she felt she made the situation awkward. The woman patted her on the back and took her away from the castle. 

"My name's Kelly. What about you?" the woman asked as they reached the town, away from the castle. 

"Name's Betsy! I'm new around these parts. Didn't know about that rule...," Betsy responded. 

"Yeah, it's really stupid if you ask me! They say it was to protect Aghis, but all she had to do was win some fights then she was allowed out!" Kelly exclaimed. Betsy took note of the passion in her eyes as she shouted. 

"Aghis? Who's that?"

"Aldrik's daughter. Always got into trouble. She was really fun from what I heard. Wish I knew her back then! Unfortunately... I wasn't alive yet!"

"You don't look it, either!" Betsy exclaimed, trying to compliment her. She noticed that that could have meant that she looked old, so she said, "Like you were around when she was a kid! I'm sorry!"

"Huh? That's what I thought you meant. Anyway, Betsy. Tell me about you," Kelly said, walking away before stopping promptly. "You didn't have somewhere you wanted to go did you?"

"No, not really. What do you want to know?" 

"Well, who are _you_?" Kelly asked again, looking to the sky as she walked and Betsy followed. 

"Me? Well, I grew up in a little town called Yarrin. It's in the southeast. My dad-," she began before Kelly interrupted.

"I asked about _you_. Not your dad. So tell me about you. What do you like?"

"Oh. I love to work out! I love the burn of my muscles when I'm exercising! I also love my brother, I guess. My dad, for sure!"

"Oop. You slipped into it again. Now, tell me about you!"

"Sorry, I'm not good at that. Something I like... I've only really told one person this before, but... women are great," Betsy mumbled. 

"Why are you being so quiet? Be proud! It's fine! Look at those two! Even though they can't marry, they're in love! Think of Jeanne's brother! He loves men and everyone loves him!" Kelly said merrily. She pointed at a pair of women who walked together. They waved to her with smiles and walked on. 

"I just... it's that... I've always thought that it was a bad thing?"

"No, no! Women are, indeed beautiful. The gentle fragility of a woman's neck. The fiery resolve of her heart! The way they wish and wish. The way they bring in children, or choose not to. The power behind every move they make is awe-inspiring, don't you think?"

Betsy paused. She'd never heard her feelings expressed so well. She didn't think she could possibly express them as well as they had been. She saw a sparkle in Kelly's eyes that still pointed straight to the sky.

"Yeah. I guess so! Women are so strong."

"You seem pretty strong!"

"I'm nothing compared to other women. All I've lost is my mum. Have you seen the look in Jeanne's eyes? Now that's strong!"

"Hey! For one, losing your mother is nothing to scoff at. For two, Jeanne _has_ been through a lot. Third, it's not a competition. You are plenty strong! You were holding in something about you for so long. That's pretty strong. Though, letting others know would be strong. By the way, you don't have to tell people, it's just very freeing when you do. You could never tell others, I suppose."

"Wait, how do you know it's freeing?"

"I've done it! Anyway, keep telling me about you."

"Hmm, I suppose I like eating. I never really bother with looking pretty."

"Because you don't need to, obviously."

"Aw, thanks."

"It's true."

"I suppose I grew up decently wealthy. I lived in a mineral store. I was at least pretty well off for Yarrin. I like to read."

"Really? What's your favourite book?"

"Griffon Song! I really wanted to see the play when I was little, but they didn't put it on around Yarrin."

"Griffon Song? Oh, you mean _The Song of the Griffons_? That book is a tad mature for a little girl to read, is it not?"

"I dunno. I always loved it. Haven't read it in a while, might do that again. I remember there was this one girl who loved to fight all the time. I really liked her!"

"I don't think it's in the public library. You might try the castle's library."

"What kind of book do you like?"

"I feel _Call of Crows_ on a deep, physical, personal level."

"I haven't read that. What's it about?"

"A slave woman from Thaco manages to free herself from captivity, and is taken in by a- wait that's far too much information already! I must get you to read this book. It reminds me so deeply of my mother! She was a slave in Eurir, and I grew up on the story of how she escaped with her father and my father."

"Wow... your mother was really strong."

"Was? She's still alive. Just barely, unfortunately. She's in Morgate meeting with the king right now, actually."

"The king? Is she in some important bu-bureaucracy position?"

"She was... but I asked Aldrik to mention her worsening condition in a letter to the king. I know she has not much longer left, but I was hoping that maybe the medics of Morgate might give her a little longer. The power of the Grand Dragon might do something, I hope."

"Anyway, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself, Kelly? I told you so much about me."

"So much? I suppose. Well, my name is Kelly Verano, my mother-," she began.

"Uh-uh. Talk about _you_ ," Betsy interrupted. 

"Sorry. let me start again. I like to pamper myself and make myself beautiful. I paint my face with all sorts of colours, even if it's expensive. I like to dance every now and then. I like nature. I know some adorable squirrels that live in and around the city, actually. They come and see me. I grew up here in Amzu, but am of Thaco descent. I think women are pretty neat. I'm scared of being forced into slavery constantly. Hmm... I'm not particularly fond of _rules_... I find that they tend to be quite discriminatory to particularly me. I like to read quite a bit. I'm quite young for Amzu - twenty-three. Actually, how old are you?"

"Oh- seventeen."

"I thought you were fourteen from that youthful glow."

"No! Don't lie! Look at these wrinkles! And these muscles! No fourteen year-old has muscles like this!" Betsy exclaimed, flexing her bicep proudly.

"Wow. I guess not. I've seen some of the boys in the school, though. They get pretty big arms."

"What? I can't allow that! Gotta get trainin' again!" 

"I bet you can beat them out! I believe in you! You've already got this much!"

The two girls went about talking until the sun was high in the sky. They went to Kelly's house - a humble, small, wooden house near the wall. Kelly insisted on lending Betsy her copy of Call of Crows to read and made them both some lunch. 

On that same morning that Betsy met Kelly, Valiant woke up far too early. He was sore from training the day before, and wanted to sleep so that maybe he couldn't feel it, but his brain wouldn't let him. No matter how he tossed and turned in the bed that he found so comfortable, he could not rest. Seeing as he was awake, he looked out the window to see the view. Below him reached a circle of stone, then paths of stone, and wooden roofs. He saw the wall that stood at almost four houses tall, and beyond it, the grassy fields. He noticed a group of grey dots darting across the field, and they were joined by a larger one. He moved from the field to the tall, tall mountains. He could faintly see the light of the border of Oclar. His eyes moved upwards to stare at the stars. He began looking at them and saw shapes in the groups. He named the groups of stars to himself. 

As Val stared silently, he heard the snoring of Llewyn lightly and thought he might be getting tired, so he moved to his bed. That was when he heard something strange. The deep giggle he could have sworn he knew from his heart. He checked outside the door, and saw a pair of boys in naught but a pair of shorts each. It was Cassian and Eldoris. Val quickly pulled his head back into his room and Cassian knocked.

"Hey, Val...?" Cassian asked through the door. 

"Cassi...," Val moaned back.

"You know El. Well, like you probably guessed, we're... having sex- not, like, right now. Anyway, he's leaving later today, and we wanted to do it one last time," Cassian explained. 

"Yeah, cool, cool... you can sleep with whoever you want. It's none of my business," Val mumbled awkwardly. He really wanted the conversation to end. He knew that Cassian had been with girls before, but he'd never seen him with one. He'd especially not heard about him being with a man, even if he knew it was inevitable. 

"Yeah, but you don't need to see us messing around. Sorry for waking you up."

"You didn't. I can't sleep."

"Well get back to tryin'!" Cassian said a tad loud for the time of night and his dress. He and El ran off down the stairs. Val had no clue what they were going to do down there, but tried to get back to sleep. He somehow managed to fall asleep and was woken back up by a knock at the door. 

Aldrik creaked the door open and looked in. Val was still in the bed. He said, "Come, boy. The two of you will be trying to enter the spirit world again," he explained, waving for the boy to follow. Val dragged himself back out of the bed, and followed as Aldrik tried to wake Llewyn. He ended up casting a spell to carry him as he was in a deep slumber. 

The three of them arrived at the courtyard and Aldrik began by raising a small stone once more. He created a small waterfall with a looping system and asked the two of them to sit either side of it. They resumed what they had begun the other day. Val and Llew closed their eyes and began to breathe steadily. In what felt like minutes, Valiant opened his eyes to see a swirling storm of yellows and pinks in the sky, far away. He saw red, fish-like creatures soaring through the sky. He looked down and saw grass that was a blue-green with small black dots, which he assumed were ants, moving around. As he looked at the surrounding environment, he heard something loud in his ear, but nothing there. He couldn't make it out for a second.

"Val!"

It was Llewyn. As soon as he realised, he darted into action. He remembered how Llewyn said that he was falling last time they were here. So he looked up at first, but realised that the horizon on this landmass was strangely close. He ran to the horizon-line that he'd seen and almost fell over the edge. He saw Llewyn falling and instantly reached out his hand. Llewyn's hand just barely missed what looked like a root that hung from the land they were on. Val clenched his fist, and squeezed his eyes closed. 

Llewyn stopped shouting. At least in fear. 

"You did it! Val, I stopped falling!"Val was confused, so he opened his eyes. Llewyn was floating in place. Llewyn looked up at him, smiling tiredly. He clearly had not had the chance to wake up properly even if he was just falling to what at least looked like it could have been his death. 

"Uhh, now what?" Val asked himself.

"Pull me up!"

"How?"

"I dunno! Just, try like you're fishing!"

"I don't know how to fish!"

"Just, like, walk backwards or something!"

Val pushed himself up from the edge of this land and began walking back slowly. He was making sure he didn't step on anything that looked alive. Llewyn was there. He reached his hand and grabbed onto the land. He pulled himself up with help from Val, and crawled away from the edge. He hugged the ground and smelled the grass. It didn't seem particularly like he was smelling anything. 

"How did I do that?"

"You grabbed me. This place is full of magic isn't it? You got to do magic first? No fair!"

"Hey, I saved ya, didn't I?"

"Yeah, guess you need a win some time."

"So what do we do now?"

"I'm not sure. I can't even feel my real body."

"Me neither. I saw those things, are they spirits?" Val asked, pointing at the red creatures. A small flame appeared next to one. A group of similar, green creatures that more resembled eels approached. They caused massive trees to grow around the boys and block out the mustard-yellow sky. 

"I guess so," Llewyn answered. 

The pair of them sat in the newly-formed forest together, looking at the nature around them. They noticed some leaves fall from the trees. The leaves were soft and hard. Some of them seemed like they could cut. As they sat there, talking about things like how they thought Kyler was, they realised that they had gotten very cold. Valiant climbed one of the trees with safe leaves and saw that a very big, blue spirit had gotten close - it was shaped more like a bird than the other fish-like spirits, but it glided just the same.

The boys had been there for what felt to be about an hour when they felt a sharp pinching pain on their arms. They woke up. Aldrik had pinched both of them on the arms. They could see that the sun had started setting. 

"Neither of you woke up on your own. I assume you made it in?" Aldrik asked, seeing that they both looked dazed. 

"Yeah!" Val exclaimed, starting to stand up, wobbling as he did so.

"You couldn't find your way out?"

"There's a way?" Llewyn asked.

"Well you must open your eyes. I shall attempt to join you next time. Tomorrow, however, you will be taking a class."

"What're we learning tomorrow?"

"About the continent of Erouha! Wake early tomorrow, boys! I have lots to teach you!" Aldrik exclaimed as he reentered the castle.


End file.
